The Dove
by Lilikap
Summary: The Angels are going head first inside a prison in the middle of nowhere. On their own now they have to find the so called 'Contact'. However many dark secrets lurk behind the bars of the cells. And more behind the closed doors of the laboratory No2. And then there is 'Scar'. A person without a name, without a past. Forgotten. Written by Laeyeball & Lilikap.
1. Chapter 1

Written by Laeyball, Lilikap.

Dear readers

This story is dedicated in part to the hundreds, thousands of authors out there all over the world who give up their free time to write here and entertain millions of people earthwide!

You love to write! So do we!

So here we are again, Lilikap and LAEyeball here to endeavour to entertain you further!  
We hope you enjoy this new CAFic - we are working hard to give you a great CA story, so please be kind and let us know your thoughts!

It's also a dedication to the wonderful people who created Charlie's Angels in the first place! We own nothing, but owe a lot!

Laeyeball

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Chapter 1

It was a cold December evening. The stars were almost invisible beneath this foggy snow flakes danced slowly in the rhythm of the moonlight as they landed on the roof of the lone passing car.

The woman inside cradled the six moth old baby in her lap and sighed. ''It's getting colder. We might need to stop for the night.'' she said after a brief concerned glance at her husband.

The man nodded his head as he concentrated on the road in front.

"Okay." He replied, needing to rest his eyes from the glare of headlights in snow. He could feel a headache coming on.

The baby uttered a tiny grumble and the woman shushed over her daughter, feeling tired and wishing they had stopped earlier.

But David had insisted they try to get home. She sighed inwardly, staring out at the thickening snow flakes, feeling entranced by their chaotic whirling.

Her shoulders jerked up at a sudden ear-piercing sound. It took her foggy mind a while to make out the sound of a police siren.

The tires screetched and the vehicle slipped slightly from the ice already forming on the asphalt.

The car stopped and pulled over. David lowered the window, popped his head out and saw two male officers approach.

"Good evening Sir!" The broader of the two spoke. "It's not a good night to be out, is it sir?"

"Uh, no officer...it's freezing! Sorry, I guess I just hit an ice patch!"

The woman gave him a tired smile. The officer, looking cold still in his uniform duffel, looked at David.

"Can I see your drivers license please sir?" David looked quizzical, but then leaned toward the glove compartment to retrieve his document.

Bang! The grip of the officers pistol landed on his neck

The woman gasped in shock and protectively wrapped her arms across her baby's crib. "Hey! What the hell do you ...?" The second officer at her own side then immediately directed his pistol towards her, the look of menace plain on his face. The woman was instantly quiet. Her alarm was turning quickly to dread and panic as she realised that the officers were not all they seemed to be.

"Ma'am, your husband is wanted by the police in connection with the Telex scandal and we have reason to believe you are an accessory. Please, step out of the car..."

"But ... What... what are you doing with my husband?" The woman watched, incredulously, as the first officer began to haul her unconscious husband out of the car.

"No...!" She tried to give voice to her immediate emotion, but it was of no use. The police officer dragged her seemingly lifeless husband away from her, through the harsh cold snow, to their patrol car. Everything was suddenly so completely and insanely wrong - and even worse - she realised she had no control whatsoever over the situation. If only... the thought petered out as soon as it became cognisant. It was no use now. It was too late now. Things were different.

"Ma'am - step out of the car - NOW!" The officer at her window caused her to swing her head back in his direction - her line of sight directly connecting with the business end of his gun.

"But... my ... baby!" She cried, as if this would be defence enough. The officers face was hard as iron.

"Get...out of the car...now!" he ordered, and obligingly opened the door for her.

She took the gentlest hold of her tiny child and lifted her up, cuddling her precious daughter into herself, then emerged from the car, in the freezing cold of the December evening.

"I need blankets for my baby!" She demanded immediately, returning the cold hard stare.

The police officer blinked, then, with a brief flash of compassion, he nodded. But then directed his gun to her, then the waiting police car.

"Blankets in the vehicle, lady." He motioned her towards the car, and his waiting partner. The woman gave him one last withering look before she followed his orders and stepped gingerly over the snow covered ground towards the patrol car, feeling her helpless tiny daughter shivering terribly with the shock of the cold, even in her own warm and tender loving embrace. Someone was going to answer for this.

The woman gently lowered herself into the rear of the patrol car, having been given blankets by the police officer, only to be sitting next to her unconscious handcuffed husband. She made a huge effort to stop herself from crying out in dismay, but shuffled closer to the mans form, as he breathed shallowly. Emily was getting restless in her arms, and demanding a feed. What the hell ... she glanced sideways at her husband, then as Emily's whimpers began to ascend into cries, she unbuttoned her blouse...nothing else for it now...

The snow was falling even more rapidly as the patrol car finally arrived at it's destination, the temperature now below freezing in the December night air.

"Okay, Mrs Ferenti - out you get - end of the line!"

She had been fully aware of their approach th the facilities, even through the snow bound darkness. And she knew for sure, that this was no police station. That this was not even...any state prison she had any experience with. That this actually was very unlikely...any government state prison at all...

She kept Emily pressed against her chest, trying to offer her some of the warmth she herself was losing now. She shivered as a slight breeze brushed her cheeks.

She took a step back as one of the officers paced towards her.

''What is this place?'' she asked as firmly as she could. The feeling that she was heading towards something so very very wrong had been intensifying with every passing second. Now it screamed mercilessly from inside her every fibre. -  
It was a warm evening of the year 1974 and three girls were working out on the inside of the Los Angeles Police Academy.  
Jill wiped some perspiration from her forehead as she thought of what move she had to try , caught under Kelly's grip, was grinning madly on the floor. ''Try the roundhouse kick.'' she mumbled as soon as she managed to breathe again.

Kelly groaned and sat on the soft mat their training place was composed from

''Why do WE have to stay and practice more?''

Sabrina laughed and came at her with a sharp hit on the abdomen that stopped half an inch before its target.

''Because WE are women, remember?''

Kelly stuck her tongue out and pushed her back.

''I still don't get it!''

Jill let out a batle cry and fell on the tall brunette, sitting on top of her.

''VICTORY!'

Kelly laughed. ''See Bri? Never lower your guard in front of a tiger!''

Sabrina pushed Jill away and trapped her on the floor. ''Tiger my butt''

She let go laughing.

''Come one, what time is it?''

''Seven.''

''Boy... Crofford said to stay here and practice until nine...''

''And where will he be to see us? Lets go!'' demanded Jill.

''Right here.'' came the sharp voice of their martial arts instructor.

''You, Garret, more passion. You Munroe concentrate! You Duncan! Stop looking around like an idiot! Take 30 all of you!''

Sabrina raced close to the bed Jill was lying on. ''Hey Jill! I heard what this crazy guy will put in the finals!''

The blond didn't move.

Kelly looked at her above her book.

''She's asleep can't you see?''

''Yes but the finals start in half an hour!''

''She's sick.''

''Oh come on!

'' What will he make us do again?"

''Run the stadium 30 times.''

''Whats the point in even trying...''

''What do you mean?''

''Jill and you are always first! I have to struggle with the rest of the sweaty guys behind you. What's the point?''

Sabrina rolled her eyes and pushed Jill gently. ''Hey, wake up. It's seven already.

'Jill mumbled something and turned from the other side. ''Lemme alone mum... wanna sleep.''

Kelly shot an annoyed look at Sabrina.

'Told ya.''

Sabrina brushed the hair out of her friends eyes and winced as her palm made contact with her forehead.

''I think she's got a fever.''

Kelly threw her book away. ''Let me see.''

She made a grimace at Sabrina. ''Yes she has.''

''What are we supposed to do now?''Sabrina rubbed her temples. ''She still needs to take the final. If she fails she will have to stay here another six months.''

''Yes I know!''

Kelly searched her pockets and dissappointed, tried the first drawer.

She found an aspirin and showed it to Sabrina. ''Here. She'll take one or two and will be up in no time.''

Sabrina cradled Jill's torso and pushed the tiny pill between her lips. Kelly handed her a bottle of cool water and she helped her drink.

''In ya go...'' she said and waited for Jill to swallow.

The girl opened her bleary eyes and looked at her, a smile forming on her lips. ''Santa!''

Sabrina scratched her chin and left her on the bed. She turned at Kelly. ''What did she just say?''

''She thought you were Santa Claus.'' replied Kelly impassively.

''Santa Claus?''

Kelly nodded and suppressed a laugh. Sabrina shook her head. ''And it's not even Christmas.''

The minutes passed quickly and Jill had started to somehow become more informed about her surroundings. She smiled at Sabrina and got up.

''Hi Bri. Ready for the finals?''

Kelly smiled and pushed Sabrina playfully. ''See? Told ya she'll be okay.''

'What the hell did you give her?'' Sabrina asked shaking her head as Jill started changing into her Academy sweatpants.

All three of them ran to the big stadium where people had already gathered.

Kelly shot a panicked look at Sabrina. ''How many miles will 30 times be?''

''20? Maybe more. I think more.''

Jill knelt on the grass and smiled at a daisie. ''Hello little fella! How are you today?''

Sabrina elbowed Kelly. ''I told ya she's not okay!''

''Nah, she's like this all the time.''

''Talking to daisies.''

''Yes, Bri. She even talked to her pants last night. 'why don't you fit you darn-''

''Okay, okay, I get it.''

They gathered around the at least fifty year old balding man with the shiny head.

He opened his mouth and Sabrina showed Kelly the clock on the other side of the building.

''He takes 15 minutes for the speech.''

''What you-''

''Yes.''

''So today people I am going to test your stamina, your morale! I only want you to manage to the finishing line to pass. If you want to protect this city like police officers then your stamina must remain at its best all the time. You go with the sound of my whistle..''

Kelly groaned and Jill hopped happily to warm up.

Everybody took their stances.

Sabrina scratched her head as she saw Jill blinking intensely. Oh well... she had some miles to run.  
With the sharp whistling it was like a wave of people had begun moving all together.

Kelly went with the flow for a while as Sabrina quickly left everybody behind. After a mouthful of air she was at her side.

Instinctively Sabrina slowed her strides so Kelly could reach her. They ran without talking for a while.

Sabrina blinked some sweat of her eyes and Kelly looked around.

''Where's Jill?'' she asked panting.

They both glanced behind and saw their blond friend trying to keep up with them. Suddenly she collapsed on the grass.

The both came into a halt, looked at each other and started running back.

''HEY! What are you two doing?''

Sabrina shook her head. ''Dammit!''

They ignored their instructor and took hold of Jill arms.

''Kelly.. I'm so dizzy.. everything spins around... are we at the merry go round?''

''Yes kiddo...''

They lifted her to her feet and put her arms on their shoulders.

''Now, keep walking okay? We're gonna make it. We just need to get to the damn finishing line.'' whispered Sabrina as they made their second round.''It's just a little more Jill. Just a little more.'' Kelly muttered.

''Kelly!''

''Kelly wake up!''

Kelly gasped and opened her eyes. She looked at Kris, still shoving her. ''What the-''

''We're here. You fell asleep. Come on.''

Tiffany parked the car and put her hands on her hips. ''We're here folks. Welcome to Saint George prison facilities.''


	2. Chapter 2

Hello guys, we're both really excited about this fic. By now you would know we both like to write but this was... something special right from the beginning, just like our other fic. Beware, we do not work with restrictions, nor will we be good to the Angels. That's all I have to say. Really. Nothing useful. Hurry up and read the story huh? And let us know what you think coz people this is getting huge in my hard disc, but we really need to know how do you feel about it. So long people. Have fun and review.

Lilikap.

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Chapter 2

Kelly stretched her arms and quickly smoothened out her guard outfit. Why the hell should she wear a skirt when prisoners wore pants? She glanced at Tiffany toying with her handcuffs. Kris brushed her hair back much as she could

Kelly looked at Tiffany one last time. ''Are these too tight?''  
Tiffany shook her head, even though they were. They were had been sitting in the back of the patrol car for a little while now

Finally a guard opened the huge front gate and another pair came close to take the two girls away. Sure the plan was great Charlie! Take us all three and throw us in some prison. That's great!

She recalled Charlie's message. ''I received a phonecall from this location. I need you to check it out.''  
Tiffany had smiled, being the only one to never experience the inside of a prison. ''So, what are we going to do in there?''  
Immediately Kris had put on a panicked face mentally screaming. "NOOO!''

''Kelly.'' Charlie had said with his calm voice. ''You will pose as a guard. Remember. There is only on person in there who will help you but we do not know who it is. She is supposed to meet you on your way in. You will be given a local patrol car. But remember, this person is your only contact with me and... your only way out.''

They had choroused the same way they always did. ''Of course Charlie!''

Little did they know what the prison uniforms looked like. They reminded Kelly of Pine Parish. Now she thought of it, having parted from her friends, Charlie didn't mention what the caller said.

She just stood there, being able to do nothing as two guards dragged Kris and Tiffany away. She felt helpless from the first moment she set foot in there. Little did she know that this was about to get worse.

A tiny young woman at her late twenties hopped her way to Kelly.

''Are you Miss Garrett?'' she asked..

''No, I'm Ellison'' she answered using her fake last name. Then it hit her.

How did she know her last name? Was her cover blown before she had even said a word?

The woman smiled. ''I know. Follow me.'' She nodded her head at the direction the guards took Kris and Tiffany

''They're gonna be okay. I'll keep an eye on them. Now you have to meet the governor, Helen Chambers.

And suddenly Kelly's heart felt light. Of course. She nodded to the woman and followed her into the dark coridor.

Kelly felt apprehensive as she was led through the maze of blank corridors.

Tiffany and Kris were being led ...down...to God knew what... and she was being placed in a position of...what...? Authority? Somehow... she didn't feel all that confident right now. Her contact led her through the next set of doors and then off to her right...and to an abrupt halt. Before them were a set of very wide ornate double doors. Kelly looked up and down the doors. She had seen something similar on the design of 'Il Duormo' in Milan...

"Wait here." The woman told her. She knocked twice, then entered. Kelly did as she was told, and hung back. Her attention was taken again to the ornate carving of the heavy - likely oak - doors before her. Several depictions of the virgin mary were to be discerned...along with various illustrations of all the apostles and of Christ himself. Kelly was at once awestruck and fascinated. What kind of person in this establishment was appearing to self style them self a modern day...Saint?

The answer to her question was about to be answered... the heavy door swung open again and she was admitted entrance.

Kelly walked respectfully towards another ornate piece of furniture in the room. A large antique desk that was very well preserved.

But it wasn't the desk that really struck Kelly but the woman sitting behind it. Kelly hadn't seen such a haunted look on someone in a very long time.

"Hello Kelly." The woman stood up, with difficulty and placed both her hands on her desk . Kelly wasn't sure if this was a display of authority or...was it to gain support for her thin frame?

"Hello ... erm... Mrs.." Kelly faultered, not really knowing how to address her new 'boss'.

"Please... you will address me as 'Governor' within this establishment." The look from her governor made her skin crawl.

The womans pale blue eyes were highlighted by a terrible pallor of skin that made Kelly twitch inside, and the darkest circles under her eyes had Kelly feeling suddenly sorry for what she saw in front of her.

"Please, do not look at me with pity." The Governor told her abruptly.

"I'm sorry Governor."

Kelly felt more than a little nervous under the womans steel gaze. There was almost an aura of sickness about this woman that Kelly found instinctively hard to not show any kind of pity for.

The Governor cut through Kelly's thoughts. "You are here Kelly, because I need ..." she faltered almost imperceptibly in her sentence but then caught herself quickly and continued "... personnel who will follow my instructions without question, to the very letter..and ask NO questions whatsoever. I understand you have this degree of obedience."

"Yes Governor" Kelly responded automatically. But with the best will in the world, she was sure some sign of compassion was displaying itself on her face.

And then Kelly was taken by surprise again when she heard an infant noise from behind her.

She did her best not to turn around but she couldn't resist a peek when the womans glare wondered from her face to somewhere behind her on the room.

She turned her head slowly as she felt the soft brush on clothing on her feet. A small child, possibly no more than one or two years old was struggling to stand there.

A pair of dark brown eyes repayed her glare with interest.

A soft smile formed on Kelly's features but dissapeared as the woman seemed to lock eyes with her. She cleared her throat and and stared at her shoes

The woman stared at the little girl and it was as if somehow she understood something unspoken. She turned around and dissapeared, walking inside a door somewhere in the shadows.

Kelly was surpised at first but then understood that she had no time to worry about something like this... but... this child... reminded her of something...

Anyway. She mentally shook her head

Now it was like the silence of the room dilated like molten metal. It became unbearable for both to hear

The woman spoke first. ''I want you to start now with your duties. Rose will explain them to you one by one. I expect nothing but obedience from you.

Kelly nodded. ''Yes ma'am. Will do.''

The woman sat again on her chair, showing that the converstaion is over. Rose showed Kelly the door. ''Let's go.''she mouthed.

The harsh voice stopped them a second before they closed the door. ''You will receive your equipment on the basement.''

''Yes ma'am.''

As Kelly was led back away from the Governors room, her thoughts began to niggle her. Just what on earth was wrong with this woman? She looked so sick.

She imagined that only someone with a terminal illness could look that sick. Poor woman, Kelly couldn't help but think, as she followed Rose.

The descent towards the basement brought a chill to her. She wondered if this was due to a slight drop in temperature or... her despondent thoughts playing on her mind. Stop it Kel! SHe remonstrated with herself suddenly. This was not why she was here. She needed to focus on the reason for their being their and not get too involved.

Tiffany made a guard pulled her along towards a small door off to the side of she shower room and shoved her with brute force through into an unlit room, slamming the door on her. The slam echoed through her head as she stumbled quite quickly into a wall and fell down. She could see nothing at all in the pitch black, but The towel she had been trying to cling onto lying over one leg. She pulled it up to her chest as she felt a terrible dampness settle over her body. There was probably no point in crying out, she descided. THis seemed to be some kind of isolation cell. For the newbies! She smirked without humour in the blackness. Oh well. It might have been worse... oh yeah Tiff...how much worse could it get? She tried still to keep calm. But her nerves were wound tighter still when she heard a strange gushing sound very close by. She tried to stand up. But was immediately... shockingly...numbingly ...thrown back against the wall and held there by twenty litres of ice cold water pressure per second.

"N-N-N-N...aaahhhhh" Tiffany tried to scream but the words would not form. Her jaw was locked in a grimace she just had no control over. She felt every single square inch of her skin sting as if a thousand wasps were stinging her from the inside out...

"NN-aaaahhh..." Tiffany still tried to force a scream as a normal bodily reaction to the full impact of force of water hitting her, mercilessly freezing her very soul, freezing her very thought... slowly, agonisingly without letup, rushing into her mouth, down her throat. Is this what drowning feels like? The thought squeezed itself through her mind as darkness began to swamp around. The last thought Tiffany had before she slipped into blissful unconsciousness was Kris...

Kris screamed as her breath was forced cut

She choked and screamed, only to allow more water to find its way into her mouth. She paused and closed her eyes, struggling for a breath.

She felt her back beeing pressed against the wall and as a last resort she curled into a ball on the floor.

Her mind, agonizing to cease the pain, ran back to her childhood days when she and Jill would fall into the blue ocean with their clothes on just to cool themelves from the Summer heat.

The memory faded as her lungs screamed for air.

Darkness clawed its icy fingers on her. she could have never imagined that darkness could become even blacker in this hell pit she was thrown now.

She felt her heart thump into her ears as her whole existence was being erased. And then,suddenly, colours started to flick in front of her eyes.

A pale blue shattered in a million little pieces by a blinding white lightning and then... nothing.

For a minute she thought she was floating. Somehow she thought she could actually see herself from above. And immediatelly she felt at her very core how tiny she was.

She was a nothing. And now, feeling everything but fearless she allowed that nothingness to consume her.

One year earlier.

The tall woman struggled with the guard.

''No!'' she screamed. ''It's my daughter in there! You can't-''

Her phrase was cut short by a firm blow on the jaw. Surprised she looked directly in the guard's eyes, without bothering to raise a hand to comfort her burning face.

Then, as the thought sat well into her, her hands set into fists. Her lips closed as her teeth made an effort not to chew themselves. Every muscle in her body intensified. She took in a deep breath and let it out. She kept staring at the guard.

Then without a warning her body shot forward.

Instincts kicked in as she dodged another blow and pushed her opponent's body into the wall behind. She felt it go limp but she did not bother to look.

She turned her head around in a last try to identify the place she was in. She had no memory of how she was brought there, she just remembered trying to stop this person from dragging her. She had not time to think.

She had to get back to where she and her precious daughter parted. But where was it?

She raced at the stairs as an alarm went off.

She followed a dark corridor, lead only by instinct in the darkness.  
Then she heard a cry. A cry she would recognise among thousands of others. The cry of this little person that this time needed her.

Just behind this door. Just behind this huge door.

She stuck her hand out to the knob but a firm grip got a hold of her hands.

Totally out of balance she hit the floor with her face and started moving her limbs on all directions, trying to get rid of the person holding her down.

''Get the hell of me!"' she managed to yell but her breath was cut by a gunshot. The cry stopped.

Then it was like she was someone else. She wasn't this. Just in someone else's body. She violently shook the guard off her and heard the sound the impact the floor hitting her head made. A rough crack.

She didn't care anymore of what she did, who was. She didn't' even know. She just fell on that door with every ounce of her strength.

And then in an instant the door was open. And she only managed to see a flash of a short revolver that headed towards her neck.


	3. Chapter 3

**I think this is the biggest chapter I've ever published... omg... heh! Please read enjoy and review guys! It took us a great deal of work for this! Thank ya!**

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3

Cold...icy... freezing...pain ... Kris began to come round but immediately regretted it. The agonising pain wracking her beaten body was almost too much, the terrible numbing icy cold tearing through her mind and body like a jagged knife. She let out a small sob as thousands of marching ants stung every pore of her flesh and she began to uncontrollably shake. As her shivers began to cause her muscles to spasm, she vaguely wondered where she was.

She tried to suck in small pockets of air, tried to grit her teeth together and focussed on calming her body down, but it was almost impossible. She pulled her arm up and shoved her badly shaking hand in between her chattering teeth and clamped down...hard. She could feel no worse pain anyway so she decided it didn't matter. She felt her knuckles grind but kept biting down.

She heard herself crying but she didn't care. She withdrew her hand then, to take in more air. And as she sucked in huge lungfuls, she finally felt the shaking begin to subside. Even though the trembling persisted, she now found she could move a little, and tried to stretch fully out on the freezing stone floor of... She opened her eyes. Where the hell was she? Some kind of metal bars were blocking her view..

As her controlled breathing calmed her mind, her blurry eysight improved. She stuck her hand out to the bars but her perception of depth was still completely lost and she ended up slamming her fist into them.

"Ow! D-Ddammit!"

She grabbed one of the bars with her good hand but was too tired to pull herself up, so instead she passed her hand between the bars and felt for her surroundings

The feel of cold ground in the darkness made a shiver run down her hand. She kept searching until she got to soft material.

Clothes. Human clothes.

She started patting in the dim light and got to flesh.  
she traced the outline of a human limb which seemed to have sprung to life by her touch but pulled away from her.

There was a small cry that somewhere deep in her mind she recognised.

''Tiff?'' she managed to utter between her shaky jaw.

There was little response so she decided to try and reach further.

She got ahold of a shoulder.

''Tiffany is this you?''

She felt a hand on hers and finally understood that she had guessed right She squeezed that hand as she felt her friends whole body going out of control, like hers had only moments before.

''It's okay Tiff, it's okay.'' She tried numbly to console Tiffany.

She knew though that it was impossible to make it stop. She had to wait for her friends body to find its normal temperature

When the trembling decreased a little she decided to talk again.

-  
A year earlier

'She did WHAT?'' yelled the thin unheallthy woman rising from her seat Rose, sitting on a chair working at something shook her head.

''Helen, calm down.'' she said. ''It's bad for you to-''

''Shut it Rose!''

Helen turned to the guard again.

''What do you mean she did-''

She paused to caugh.

''I'm sorry Mrs Chambers...'' the guard whispered. ''It seems she broke free and killed two of our guards. Everything is under control now.''

''Under control? You call THIS under control?''

She took hold of the heavy pencil case and threw it at the guard.

''You idiots! You fools! How the hell did she manage to come here do you think? I had to bring her down on my own! Useless worms!''

Rose shook her head again and scribbled something on a piece of paper.

''Helen...''she said impatiently.

''Rose shut up!'' the woman replied ready to throw another pencil case. Rose shrugged and got back to her work.

The guard flexed her fingers quietly. ''It will be fixed miss Chambers. I assure you I will see to it personally that she will not ... or ever will be in a state to run away on us.'

''I hope you will.'' Helen breathed heavily.

She raised her hand and showed him the door. ''GO!'' she yelled and the guard rushed out.

She slammed both of her open palms on her desk. ''IDIOTS!''

Rose's hands jerked from the sudden sound and spilled the tiny injection she was trying.

''Darn it Helen! Control yourself! I was preparing your medicine here!''

She steadied her hands and took another blood sample from a shelf

Helen brought her hands to her face and sunk in her big chair. Rose sighed and Helen gave her an icy stare.

''Is it ready?''

''Not yet. Calm down. It was just a slip.''

''One more slip like this and-''

''It was nothing Helen, just an idiot.''

But Helen was not listening. She knew there was a lack of integrity between the guards and the situation was becoming intolerable. She drummed her exquisitely manicured nails on the desk and let out an impatient sigh.

"Well Rose, how much longer will you be? I have things to do!"

Rose sensed more than the usual note of stress in Helens voice and immediately approached her boss with another injection ready.

"Thank you!" Helen managed a curt degree of gratefulness.

"Helen," Rose began, "I am honestly doing my best here. Please be patient. This is difficult painstaking work. And as you well know..."

"Yes yes I know!" Helen snapped. "You aren't a miracle worker!" Helen gave Rose a glower which said everything Rose needed to know about the state of her held out her arm for Rose.

"But believe me...you had better start coming up with some results soon..."  
Rose looked at Helen but professionally kept her expression neutral. She took Helens arm, wrapped the pressure pad just above her elbow, then tapped around for the vein she knew would make itself known to her. Helen watched the proceedings with her usual mild curiosity.

And as Rose found the vein, slid the needle in and depressed the button sending through a pale yellow liquid, she tried to count realistically, just how much more time Helen did have. She shook the thought away and withdrew the needle, noting with a little sadness at how marked the inside of her arm was.

Immediatelly Helen sunk deeper into her chair, a strange expression forming on her features.

Rose became concerned.

"Helen? Are you alright?"

"Hmm?"

"I said..."

"I heard you dammit!" Helen dabbed at the slightly bleeding puncture wound in her arm with the cotton wool ball from Rose's tray.

"Please Rose, just leave me now okay?" Helen parried a hand towards her tiredly, and Rose excused herself and left.

Helen rose slowly from her chair and walked over to the far end of the room, to a cot where a baby lay on its back, sleeping peacefully. She gazed down wistfully. How strange, she thought to herself, that after all this time of wishing for and wanting - even needing to have children and being denied the natural right, she should have this little bundle of light come into her life. She honestly hadn't expected this at all. The childs mouth moved in sleep and Helen twitched her own lips in a responsive smile. Here at last, she found someone who would not judge her. She reached down and gently stroked the delightfully soft skin of the childs cheek. The tiny lips puckered then relaxed, and Helen withdrew her hand.

"Good girl... you sleep tight now." She spoke softly, then turned and headed out of the door. She passed the guard who usually sat outside her office.

"Find me the minute she wakes." She ordered him, then headed down towards the cells, towards the the mother.  
-

The insipid damp of the cell blocks made Kelly shiver and feel slightly nauseous. She would remember to put on an extra layer of clothing for her next shift. Another guard, Jason, was showing her a few of the basics and giving her a rundown on the general types of "test specimens" - as the governor liked to call the prisoners.  
Then Jason turned to her with yet another set of keys.

"So Kelly. The boss has instructed me to show you exactly what goes on in here." He smiled sarcastically. "These keys allow you into the testing labs."  
Kelly blinked. Testing labs? Okay.

''Just along here..." Jason continued, as they made their way along yet another dank corridor "Are two labs."

"Why two?" Kelly immediately queried.

''Here is lab No1'' Jason pointed at a door.

Kelly looked a him and he nodded for her to open it. A young woman was inside in surgeons outfit. She eyed at them and lowered her head down to a microscope.

''Here'' said Jason ''We make tests on biological material.''

Kelly kept walking but her pulled her back. ''This is as far as we're allowed to go and two tell you, I'm happy. In the end of this room there is a door to lab No2.''

''What is lab two?''

''I do not, not I want to, know honey. Now, lets get down to business, shall we?''

Kelly nodded her eyes locked on the dark door separating her from lab No2 She turned her head and looked at the short guard. He smiled and guided her to the door.

They kept walking between corridors.  
Jason laughed a little.

''What?'' Kelly asked.

''Well, you know, there are rumours about lab2 between all of us, I'm sure you've heard of them.''

''No, I havent. I'm new here.'' Kelly replied kindly, seeking to know more.

''Well you know.'' he paused and laughed''They say that there are actual people in there!''

''You don't say...''

''Yes, they say that it leads below the earth were dangerous prisoners are being kept...for some kind of...purpose... Rumours of course.''

''Yes... rumours...''

''I mean, how do you hide this from all the guards and how do you test on people? No, it's not logical. Don't be surprised you might hear a lot of this stuff.''

Kelly nodded her head and decided to keep quiet.

Kelly quietly allowed Jason to lead her back away from the labs. She reflected on the 'rumours' he had talked about. Could there possibly be something so sinister going on in here? She did wonder about Helen - the governor - what kind of illness she so obviously had. And what about the child? What was such a small child just doing in a place like this? She tried to corral her thoughts and make sense of a few things.

"So." Jason interrupted her thoughts. "You wanna go grab something to eat after the shift? I don't know about you but I'm starving." Kelly looked at him. Oh boy, he was hitting on her?

"Uh, sure!" She replied before she could even think. Damn Kelly! I have to tell you sometimes I do not know what's on your mind!

"Okay!" Jason smiled. He actually did have a nice smile, she thought.

"The food aint great round here, you know? There's only one small diner - Betty's - but I like to just get out of this place and take my mind off...things." He seemed to become a little distant then, bot it was momentary. He smiled again and walked on.

Kelly sensed his disturbance. She followed on, another set of questions forming, but answers still evading her.

Tiffany kept herself curled on the floor, Kris' hand still touching her shoulder

It was the only part on her body that felt a little warmer. She was grateful for the touch.

She felt her still damp clothes. She let out a sigh and heard Kris whispering something. She tried to lean closer but she was stopped by a set of bars.  
Tracing their outline she understood she was in something very similar to a cage

After a little blinking she could see that Kris was placed in a similar place close to sat and and after a few attempts, managed to cross her legs, still shivering and pushed her matted hair out of her eyes and looked at Kris. She seemed shaken. Wondering if she looked the same she opened her mouth to talk but no voice came out of her burning chest.

She coughed a little. ''What... is going on?''

Kris sighed. ''I think we just got a welcome gift.'' She dropped her hand and let it rest through the bars.

''Just remind me to make Charlie pay for all this will ya?''

''Oh, I will, if we get out of here. Be sure I will.'' Kris said with a tone of bitterness.

Kris let her head fall back gently onto the cold bars and sighed. She was still shaking a little, and so was Tiff, she noticed.

"Tiff..."

"Yeah?"

"Are you ...okay?"

Tiff turned her head towards Kris.

She realised neither of them would be looking particularly great right now, but it pained her to see Kris looking so...fragile. That had been one hell of a shock to both their systems.

"Are you?" She deflected the question.

Kris smiled thinly. "I guess I will be. Just so ... damn cold, huh?"

"Yeah." Tiff pushed a hand through the bars towards Kris. Kris returned the gesture and pushed her own hand over, and grasped Tiff's offer of a little much needed comfort.

"I know you went through some kind of hell last time you were in Calejo prison ..." Tiff was trying to find the words to let Kris know that this time, she wouldn't be alone. After what had just happened to both of them, she never ever wanted to leave Kris alone in a dangerous situation again.

"Tiff..." Kris had sensed her friends feelings. "It's okay. You don't have to worry about me alright?" She said gently. She could see the lines of shock and anxiety etched clearly around Tiffany's concerned eyes.

"We're both gonna get out of here and we're both gonna be fine, okay?" Kris gave her an encouraging smile, even though she didn't really feel like smiling. Tiff attempted to smile back, but it was lost amid an attempt to stop her teeth from chattering.

"Yeah." Tiff nodded. "I just wanted you to know...I...you mean a lot to me you know? You and Kelly? And I am going to do whatever it takes to get us out of here safe, okay?"

Kris managed another smile. "Same here!" She squeezed Tiffs hand then, to let her know her words had hit home. She knew that Tiff had some small insecurities regarding Sabrina's departure. Somehow, she needed to let Tiff know they all felt the same for her too.

"Me and Kelly - we think the world of you Tiff okay? I mean it! We need you and we got your back! Don't doubt that huh?"

Tiff saw the truth of that statement in Kris's earnest face and nodded. This time she did manage a small smile. "Thanks Kris." Tiff looked down at their hands clasped together. This was what would get them through whatever was coming next. And she knew Kris understood this too. She unfurled her fingers and patted Kris's hand then withdrew it, to rub more feeling back into her aching cold body.

"Do you think they have hot tubs here?" She joked.

"Heh!" Kris gave a small laugh. "Sure! They're on the floor above, next to the salons!" She flicked her hand through her own matted hair. "Think I would look good with a perm?"

Tiff laughed out loud, but their laughter was short-lived. Heavy keys rattled in the door close by, and glare of light shone in their dark cell as a guard crossed the floor.

"Okay you two...stand up!" a gruff order came.

The two girls blinked in the light, even though it was muted light from the dimly lit corridors. Kris groaned out loud as she tried to make her legs move from under her. But it was no use, there was very little feeling, and all she could manage was to get to her knees. She held on to the bars, watching Tiff as she had a similar lack of success.

"Ow!" Tiff breathed, as she lost her balance and tumbled awkwardly back to the floor. Kris grimaced.

The guard approached unamused, and unlocked Kris's cell first. Tiffany tried to scramble towards her friend.

"Hey wait!" Tiff suddenly felt so very helpless. "WAIT!" She watched in fury and anguish as the guard had no trouble in lifting Kris's slightly built frame off the floor and half lifted, half dragged her out of the room. Kris weakly tried to protest, but she had no strength whatsoever.

"Where are you taking her?" Tiff yelled hoarsly.

"Kris.. KRIS!"

Tiffany's feeling of helplessness intensified when the door slammed shut and was locked on her, leaving her alone in the dark and unable to do a damn thing. She banged her fist on the bars repeatedly.

"No, dammit, no!" She slid back to the floor and buried her face in her hands.

"Please be okay Kris..." She whispered in the gloom. "I won't let you down..." She promised herself.

Tiffany put her aching hands close to herself curled on the damp floor in her damp and cold clothes, breathing in the darkness she dived into a pitch black dreamless lethargy caused by stress and cold and agony all mixed Exhausted by all the tears she shed earlier it was hard to wake from the firm, iron like grip that set on her arms. She was pulled to her feet and hauled outside where she was left at the floor to slip again When she woke her muscles were aching but she could somehow get to her feet.

Then an overriding thought hit her hard like a slap on the face...Kris! Where the hell was Kris?

She found herself in yet another dim lit cell. As her aching, still shivering muscles bent at every step she took, she wondered why on earth herself and Kris had been separated like that? She felt so heavy...yet so light and dizzy. How could she ever be in a fit state to help Kris? The worrying thoughts gnawed at her like rats chewing on her insides.

Suddenly a shocking sound wracked through her nervous system the heavy bars slid open and a guard barked something to her He had to repeat twice to reach her

Tiffany sat back against the cold bars, gathering her thoughts and trying to get feeling back into her cold body. She had heard the door being unlocked again and the guard yelling at her, but she was just so tired. C'mon Tiff, you can do this, she told herself bleakly. She took a breath then forced herself up awkwardly and went to to the cage door to face the guard.

"What have you done with Kris?" She demanded.

"Shut up!" The guard growled and unlocked the door, keeping his pistol trained on her. "Okay step out and then turn around, put your hands behind your back. One stupid move and your cage will be decorated with your brains, get it?"

Nice! Tiffany thought, and did as she was told. The guard grabbed both wrists immediately and handcuffed her roughly. She winced.

"Where are you taking me?"

Again she demanded information. She wasn't in the mood to feel small right now. "We're going to a little walk in the fresh air, blondie!" The guard smirked. "Might blow a few cobwebs outa your pretty little head, huh?" He grinned to himself. He then pulled her away out of the cell and led her a few corridors along and through a set of doors which then led into a huge yard. Tiffany blinked and tried to shut her eyes against the harsh glare of sunlight after the darkness she had been kept in for who knew how long?  
Chat conversation end

"Where are you taking me?" Again she demanded information. She wasn't in the mood to feel small right now.

"We're going to a little walk in the fresh air, blondie!" The guard smirked. "Might blow a few cobwebs outa your pretty little head, huh?" He grinned to himself. He then pulled her away out of the cell and led her a few corridors along and through a set of doors which then led into a huge yard. Tiffany blinked and tried to shut her eyes against the harsh glare of sunlight after the darkness she had been kept in for who knew how long?

The guard then removed her cuffs and shoved her forward. "Enjoy the sunshine - I'll be back for you soon, babe!" He watched Tiffany stumble and fall to her knees in the dirt before turning and whistling to himself as he disappeared back inside. Tiffany groaned, feeling a hundred aches and pains jolt her body. She got to her feet and shielded her eyes and realised suddenly, that she wasn't alone.

"Oh, a party!" She muttered to herself. "I should have brought a bottle!" She began to walk slowly towards a group of women who had been watching her.

As she walked, she scanned the groups of women for any sign of Kris, but realised with great disappointment and anxiety that she just wasn't here. Kris, where the hell are you? She wondered angrily, as she drew up to the first group of women.

"Hey girl!" One of them broke the small silence. "Aint seen you before! ya just got off the bus?"  
Tiff gave a small grimace. "Yeah, I was just in the neighbourhood doing my grocery shopping - thought I'd drop in, say hi...you know... nice place you have here...!"

Tiffany couldn't help her sarcasm. She was in no mood for niceties, but she realised that she had better use her tongue more intelligently if she was going to find Kris and maybe make allies here.  
She saw the looks of interest on the faces around her turn to that of hostility and quickly tried to make ammends.

"Hey I'm sorry - yeah I'm new. I don't feel so good today, you know?" She tried to apologise. "I mean - i don't even know what I'm doing here you know? And I lost a friend who came in here with me..." She eyed the women, looking for any signs of support.

"You mean a pretty blond thing?" One of the girls asked.

"Yeah, her names Kris - you seen her?" Tiffany suddenly felt hopeful.

"Nope! We all brunettes here, girl!" Then the woman burst into laughter and the rest of the group joined in, mocking her. Tiffany reddened slightly, mostly out of anger. But she kept her mouth shut for a few moments.

Most of the girls then wandered off to go and amuse themselves elsewhere, but the mouthy girl stayed behind, watching Tiff. Tiff returned her stare. She was at least a foot taller than the girl, but the girl looked like a mean alley cat. She was small, but had some build to her. Not fat, she decided. Maybe the girl worked out.

"So, new girl - what's your name?"

"Uh, Tiff..."

"Tiff? What kinda name is that?"

"It's a name!" Tiffany threw back.

The girl eyed her then stood up off an upended barrel she was sitting on.

"Well.. Tiff, you better come and meet the rest of the happy campers in here..."

Tiffany allowed herself to be let in a group of women talking intensely. She maintained her distance but she couldn't help but to hear partial conversations.

None of them mattered to her.

''Hey, I'm telling the truth!'' a small woman pointed out. ''I'm telling the truth, she's coming out today.''

''Yeah, right, replied the girl Tiffany first met. ''Huh, like they would let her go. It's been three months, God knows if she is even alive.''

''Guys this is crazy.'' a tall woman, who seemed some years older said. ''I don't think she is still with us. Probably pushing daisies by now.''

The small woman shrugged. ''I'm telling you what I heard. Believe it or not. I don't give a damn. Just wait n' see.''

Tiffany was totally uninterested about all this, but feeling like she had to start getting used to them and somehow... somehow try to approach them... maybe friendly?

''Hey, what are you talking about?'' she asked carefully.

All heads turned to her side. ''What, you mean you don't know?'' came a laughing voice.

Tiffany shook her head. ''No, I'm new here.''

A hand pushed her harmlessly. ''It's Scar we're talking bout pal. One mean fella! Heh! You might meet her today, who knows!''

'Yep, right, IF she gets out, which I doubt.'' the mouthy girl replied stubbornly and turned to Tiff. ''She's been down there for three months now. Haven's seen her since. Came a year ago. IF she comes out she'll be probably nuts by now.''

Oh nice Tiff! Another person to be wary of. Just don't mess this up, will ya? she told to herself and smiled.

''I guess you're right.'' she replied. ''Hm... what is going on down there?'' she asked waiting for a hostile response.

Everybody shrugged.

''No clue girl. Little of us have gotten out there alive and those who have simply won't tell you bout it. Scar's been taken three months ago, who knows why.''Said her friend.

''Yeah just like Amy.'' came a voice from behind her. Tiffany turned to see a broad shouldered woman with shiny teeth. ''She got in there and week after that got out. Now she's talking to herself. And you know the worst?''

Tiffany raised her eyebrows. ''What?''

''She's answering too!''

Everybody but Tiffany broke into laughter.

A tiny person pushed among them to clear a way.

''She's out! It's true!'' she announced enthusiastically.

''Hey hey! Calm down sis! What's up?''

''Scar's coming!''

There was a mass mumbling from the small group as well as others and everybody looked at the door at once.

Everyone's head turned at the great main gate of the prison yard. Two male guards walked out holding someone who wasn't visible from this angle.

The pushed forward a tall brunette who didn't lose her balance but stood still until they left. Slowly she made her way to an empty bench and sat there. The other women shook their heads as they turned to their groups to gossip.  
Tiffany kept staring at the woman until she realised she was staring back. It was too far to make out her face but she could clearly see her head turned to her face. She looked away, to her ''friends'' who were talking about the exact same thing

''Is that her?'' She asked quietly.

"Yeah, you don't wanna know this girl, honey! "

Tiffany was puzzled. "Why?"

One of the girls swung her head round.

"Listen sugar, this lady" She thumbed back over her shoulder then leaned in closer to Tiffany, "She's nutso, you know what I mean? She's one crazy ditz!"

Tiffany turned her head slightly to try catch another glimpse, then turned her attention back to the group.

"So - Scar? Why is she called Scar then?" Tiffany suddenly was imagining a knife weilding psychopath who went around cutting people for fun.

The girl talking to her whistled low. "The stupid ditz got a nasty little gash on her face... nice little scar going on down here ya know?" She drew a line down her face to indicate where the scar was.

"What about her real name? Anyone know it?" Tiffany didn't particularly feel comfortable in addressing this person just as "Scar".

"Nah, nobody knows, sister! She's just known as Scar, man! Hey...why don't you go ask her what her name is? None of us ever really want to talk to her coz" The girl slid a conspiratorial look towards Tiffany, "The woman just never shuts up about her stupid face anyway!" One or two of the girls giggled.

"Yeah, ya can't get a word in edgeways with the crazy ditz!" Another girl chimed in and laughed.

"No wait," The first girl continued, "Maybe she does need a little company...?" She lowered her voice and looked like she actually cared a little for this Scar woman. Tiffany looked over at the lone figure on the bench. Should she go over? She felt a little pity for her. She felt a nudge in her side.

"Go on girl, go ask her name huh? She might open up to you, being new huh?"

Tiffany was doubtful, but she needed to find Kris. Would this other woman... perhaps know something about the facility that the other girls didn't?  
She made a decision. She began to walk over. If she had of looked back over her shoulder, she would have see the girls snickering with each other.  
She slowly approached the thin woman sitting on the bench.

"Um Hi..just wanted to come over and ... you know..." Tiff began, a little anxious of the brunette.

"You wanna what?" A tired voice returned her query but the woman continued to stare at the ground.

Tiffany felt at a bit of a loss.

"Hey, I just thought you might need a little company after..."

"Well I don't! I don't need anybody." The woman replied, with a bite in her voice.

Tiffany stood her ground. The woman probably did need someone, she thought.

She wondered if she maybe could get through to her at all?

"Uh, I'm sorry you had a rough time down there...but..."

There was a sigh.

Tifffany kept going.

"You've been here a while, huh?"

There was a snort of derision.

"Look, I came over to try and..." Tiffany's patience began to wear a little thin. She felt totally ragged and exhausted. She needed to find Kris. If this woman knew anything, anything at all, then Tiffany was going to get answers out of her one way or another.

"You came over to WHAT?" The woman finally looked up at her and Tiffany got a shock. The scar down her face was so very visible and looked horribly raw. Tiffany must have flinched, because the woman now stood up and glowered at her.  
Tiffany stood her ground. They eyed each other for a while. Tiffany prepared herself to take a step back. She looked at the woman from head to toe.

She was tall and thin and her appearance screamed she wasn't healthy. She looked like she hadn't seen the sun in a long time.

Tiffany had just opened her mouth to say something but she felt a hard push on her back and fell on the strange woman hands.

They pulled away from each other and glanced around at the crowd that had gathered. Tiffany measured her carefully. She was a bit taller but... she was well trained in martial arts. If she made a move then...

The woman made a sound of annoyance and turned her back, surprising Tiffany. She tried to walk away but hands grabbed her and sent her back, the women in the prison clothes surrounding them. Some guards were looking interested but not seeming willing to help if the situation got rough.

Tiffany you're alone in this, she said to herself and formed her hands into fists, ready to deflect any possible move. The circle closed chokingly around them, trapping them inside.

They woman looked up, down, away and the her eyes came into a rest on Tiffany's. She made a try but it was impossible to read her. She was distracted by the long scar that traced just under her left eye.

She looked around. There was no possibility in escaping now.  
She had to put up a fight with her and since the woman wouldn't make the first move - she would. The crowd took life on it's own. Tiffany could make out only one word. ''Fight!'' which repeated and repeated and repeated in a spinning dance for both of them.

Heck, you are police trained Wells! she thought to herself. You can't be scared of some skinny, beat prison woman with a scar. You're trained to put it with villains, murderers dammit! What threat could she possibly be? She might even fall apart when you touch her. All these thoughts flashed through her mind as she raised her right fist at the height of her stomach and surprised everyone by launching herself forward.

She fell on the woman, managing to connect her fist with her stomach. She took a step back, her eyes wild.

''Hey! Stop this!'' she protested, but Tiffany raised her other fist to hit again.

Her feet lost contact with the ground and she felt she was flying for a brief moment, then painfully landed on her back.

Breathless she could only watch as the woman lowered her body and placed her knee on her belly.

She lowered more and Tiff made out an intense whisper...

''Scream.''

And so she did. She saw a fist land on her body many times but surprisingly there was no pain. Then a face popped from behind, a person in a uniform. She closed her eyes, hearing scuffles, cursing and footfalls and, when she opened them again she was alone, lying in the middle of the yard.

Everybody had returned to their groups. The fight was over... and so was the immediate interest in Scar, it seemed.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Both authors are incredibly grateful for all your continued interest. If you could add your sincere comments below...we both would be so grateful...**_

_**Laeyeball.**_

* * *

_**Hello there. I loved your reviews, keep them coming. As partner sayz above, thanks. See you on the next chapter. **_

_**Lilikap.** _

* * *

_**Chapter 4**_

Scar breathed heavily as her vision became clearer. She tried to move her hands but she found she was bound to the wall. Her legs felt weak but she struggled to stay up. They heavy metal her hands were tied to made her whole body ache. She muttered something to herself and ground her sighed as perspiration trickled down her neck. She wondered why she was sweating when the place was so damp and cold. She knew the place, it was beaten down to her bones. The soggy air was familiar to her.

She breathed it deeply to calm her heaving chest.

She smiled sarcastically to herself. Here you are again. Can't stay a day out of trouble... can you?

As her eyes became accustomed to the darkness she managed to see a tiny source of light coming from a small crack on the door

Her cell had no bars like the other. Just a heavy door that allowed little light inside.

that's why she was almost blinded when she finally came out. In contrast with the silence of her cell the last three months the prison yard was deafening.

She blinked as the light was shaded by something. The slender shadow ironically reminded of something. She searched through her mind of what it was. A dove. Yes. It must be the shadow of a dove. She stretched her hands as she could wanting to see if it really was but the next second the shadow changed shape as the footsteps closed by.

The room she was now in looked more like a hospital room of some kind. Kris had been strapped down onto what appeared to be some kind of examination table. Great. Now what? She glanced around as she waited for whatever came next. There was a bench with a lot of medical equipment on it. Some papers... some boxes... Come to think of it, she decided, it was almost like being at the dentist when she was a kid. Without the straps, of course...

The door opened, and a woman in a white coat came in, carrying a try of things. Kris watched her approach, and glared at her. The woman ignored Kri's gaze and began to roll Kris's sleeve up.

"Hey, just what the hell do you think you're doing?" Kris panicked a little now, and tried to struggle against the restraints but it was no use. She was held fast.

"Get the hell off me!" She continued, verbally to struggle anyway.

"Be quiet!" the woman ordered. "I am not going to hurt you. I am just taking some samples from you, that's all."

Kris clenched her teeth and watched helplessly as the woman continued in a business-like fashion to strap a band around her elbow and tap around for a vein. She then produced a needle and inserted it into Kris's arm, drawing a full vial of Kris's blood up. Kris watched this happen and suddenly felt... violated somehow. God, this ... was ... so wrong... on so many levels! She can't do this? She has no right...!

Kris winced as the woman inserted yet another needle and drew more blood.

"Hey, how much of me do you want anyway?" Kris bitterly complained. "Are you some kind of lab coat vampire?"

"Be quiet..." The woman re-iterated "Or I will give you something to shut you up." Kris heard the threat loud and clear, and laid her head back on the table. The woman was at least trying her best not to dig the needle in too hard, Kris conceded. "Look, I'm new here... obviously..." Kris decided to try to talk to her.

"Can you at least tell me... why I'm here? I've done nothing wrong! What is this place, some kind of correctional facility?"

The woman produced yet a third needle and vial and Kris looked her in the eye. The woman returned her stare coldly, impassively.

"Would you like me to give you something to shut you up?" The woman raised an eyebrow at her in menace. "I can make this as easy or as difficult for you as I wish..."

Kris sighed. Charlie was going to get a piece of her mind when...this was all over. The fluttering in her chest abated a little, Kris tried to focus her attention elsewhere, as the woman continued to take a fourth blood sample. Finally, she was done. Kris's arm felt sore, and she wondered just what the hell the woman needed with that much anyway? If she was just being catalogued in some way then... surely that amount was really unnecessary...?

Kris watched as the woman went to the door and called to someone outside, then the guard that had brought her, re-appeared.

The woman then unstrapped her and pulled her off the table, and passed her into the care of the guard, who cuffed her hands behind her back, as the woman held a gun on her that she had fished out of a pocket.

"I don't know what's going on here..." Kris said, angrily, "But whatever it is... it's going to get found out!"

"Shut up!" The guard growled, and pushed her out of the room. Kris regained her composure and continued walking, feeling suddenly more angry than she had felt in a very very long time.

Kelly smiled and took a sip from her coffee cup.

Jason smiled and slipped his hands though his hair looking at the big watch on the wall behind him. She reached to take a napkin and accidentally their hands met.

They laughed restrained. Kelly withdrew her hand but Jason held it for a little too long. Two red patches rose to his cheeks.

Kelly suppressed a laugh with the man that seemed to her more like a shy teenager now. They both cleared their throats to shake of the ackward moment and Kelly took another sip from her coffee and wiped her lips with a napkin.

She shifted on her seat and gave him an encouraging look.

He leaned in as if to tell her something and managed to throw the coffee pot on her lap. They both shot up as if hit by lightning and he rushed to fill her uniform with napkins.

''I'm... so very very sorry! I... Stupid stupid stupid!''

She wiped the front of her stomach where a stain was already forming and thanked God the coffee wasn't hot.

She excused herself to the restroom reasurring him it was okay.

Clumsily she patted the stain and muttered some curses to herself. How would she ask for a second guard uniform now?

Tiffany wrestled against the guard holding her but gave in to the iron grip of the handcuffs being pressed on her hands.

No point in trying to escape now.

She brought to her mind the needle inserted in her hand. What could it mean? Why would these people need so much blood from her?

In her current position it was no good but to think positive. She decided she was just being examined for the record.

She sighed and waited to face the warm light of the sun in the yard again, breaking the cold a little. A shiver run down her spine as she was led down a staircase.

''Hey...'' she asked calmly. ''Where are we going?''

She was pushed toward a wall. Her head banged on the cold surface and she ground her teeth.

''Shut it!'' came the harsh voice.

She got hauled down another staircase and inside a dark corridor. A big metal door was opened by a guard and she was pushed inside.

''Hey!'' she yelled and tried to get out. Then she realised her handcuffs were loosened and open.

''That's what you get for starting a fight honey! Enjoy your sunny day!''

Tiffany hit her fists on the door trying to get attention but it was of no use. She allowed herself to slip to the damp floor where she curled in a corner.

The temperature had changed dramatically. And on the wrong side of the thermometer she noted to herself.

She shivered and curled more to herself to warm up. So that's what isolation is like. She breathed deeply but choked as the sudden cold invading her lungs cut her breath short.

A sudden rustle of metal caught her attention.

''Huh?'' she said to herself and wondered if there were rats in there.

Then she realised the breath she thought was her own didn't match her breathing.

She stopped and the breath stopped too. Or didn't it?

It didn't. She could clearly hear another breath, calmer than hers.

''Hey...'' she whispered, feeling faintly stupid with the idea she was talking to herself.

In the pitch dark she could see nothing but her own hand in distance no more than an inch from her face.

It would be really difficult to make out if someone else was there

''Hey, is anybody here?''

''Just me.''

It was a rough voice with a tone like metal.

''You?''

''Were you expecting some pop group?''

It took her a little more than a minute to recognise the voice.

''S...car?''

''Hello there.''

Tiffany got to her feet and pushed her back against the wall for protection.

She looked around but couldn't see. Where was she?

''Hey, sit down.'' came the voice again.

Tiffany realised that the metal tone must be from the lack of use for a long time.

She sat down nevertheless.

''Hey look...'' she started to say, looking for an excuse.

''Hey, look, I really didn't mean any of this... you know?'' she uttered. ''I just-''

''S'ok.''

''Heh?''

''There's a blanket on your left. Cover up.''

She stretched her left arm with hesitation and found the touch of soft cloth. She pulled it closer to her and sat down again.

As her eyes started to get used to the darkness surrounding her she started to make out basic forms. There must be a bed... there was the door... and there was a tall silhouette standing.

The form moved but didn't come closer. The rustle of metal again

''Why are we here?'' she asked quietly overcoming her fear.

''Why does earth go round?'' asked the figure as an answer.

''You don't know?''

''Did you get blood tested?

''Yes.''

''Then you'll know in a while.''

Tiffany sighed. Trying to make a normal conversation with this woman seemed of no use. ''What is this place?''

''Isolation.''

''Hey...'' she started, thinking that trying to approach her would be the best thing to do right now. ''Hey, it must be cold there... come closer kay?''

There was a small laugh from the other side. Sarcasm? Maybe. She pursed her lips.

''I'm just trying to be nice here!''

''Well, sorry.''

''Come here, huh?''

''Can't.''

Tiffany sighed again. 'Cool. Do whatever you want.''

It made her feel uncomfortable, the fact that the woman was still standing at her full height while she was trying to hide in a corner.

She decided she didn't want to start a fight. She pulled the blanket closer.

Immediately the cold became a little more bearable. She covered her back so it wouldn't touch the damp wall.

''Jeez'' she wondered loudly. ''It's so damn cold and damp in here! How do you manage?''

She took no reply and decided it was time for some rest. Just rest though. She would have to keep an eyes on her... ''companion''

She wrapped the cloth around her tired body and before she even realised it the world was mixed with the clouds of a foggy dream.

When she opened her eyes it was hard to be brought back to reality again. Her body made a sudden spasm of surprise and instinctively looked at Scar's side.

She decided... she needed to approach this woman and try to build some kind of rapport. She got up slowly, feeling the kinks in her legs and back. She stood, keeping the blanket around her shoulders and tried to fouc into the gloom.

"Hey...uh... mind if I ... come over?" Tiffany tried. "I uh... ran out of sugar!" She tried a joke.

"It's a free country..." The cool reply came. Tiffany took that as an approval and walked slowly towards the sound of the voice. As she stepped loser, she could make out more than just an outline. The woman - Scar - was... was she ... chained to the wall? Oh my god... Tiffany felt a spark of pity and revolt in her gut.

"Close enough, huh?" Came another response.

Tiffany stopped dead.

"I-I'm sorry I ..." Tiff stuttered. not really knowing what to say next.

"Getting a good look, are you?"

"No not really it's a bit dark..." The words were out before Tiff could stop them. Dammit Tiff! She balked at herself.

"Oh wise-cracks..."

Tiffany heard a slight sarcastic chuckle and felt a chill go through her, which was nothing to do with the cold...

Tiffany took a deep breath and tried again.

"Look - I really don't want to keep calling you - Scar... you have a name...?"

Silence.

"My name's Tiff..."

"Good for you."

"OK come on, help me out here..." Tiffany tried to reason.

"Short for Tiffany..."

"Okay how about Tez - it's short for Mother freakin' Theresa."

Then Tiffany heard a heavy sigh.

"Sorry... bad day."

An apology? Tiff blinked in the dark. Hmm, getting somewhere here, she wondered.

She knew she was on dangerous ground, but she had to keep on going.

"Look, have at the sarcasm all you want - I just wanna get out of here! I need to find my friend too - she's locked up somewhere down here too! And I need you to help! Okay?"

There was another laugh, louder this time, from in front of her.

"Well now I heard it all...I'm the one chained to the goddamn wall and you want me to help you?"

There was a sudden explosion of joyless laughter and Tiffany realised that Scar could possibly be close to losing it.

"Okay okay... look..sorry... you're right... I'll just leave you alone and go back to my corner! Sorry to have bothered you huh?"

"Where you going?" A voice called out to her in the gloom, as she turned to walk away.

Tiffany turned back, searching and trying to pierce the gloom and see her cell mate's face. But all she saw were gray shadows.

"I guess I can't go anywhere so I'll just stay right her in this cell if it's all the same to you." Tiffany extended her own sarcasm to Scar.

"Heh! Alright. Stay. But don't mind the rats."

Tiffany's eyes grew wide in the dark momentarily before she got the joke.

"Thanks. So, can I ... at least check out these chains for you...? See if there's..."

"Be my guest... but i'm telling you... they will not budge. Don't you think i've tried?"

Tiffany got a firm grip on where she figured the chains would be. Instead her fingers touched human flesh. Scar. She pulled her hand away as if electricity run down her forearm.

Scar felt the sudden change and let out a small laugh.

''Go back to your corner Tiffy girl.''

Numb and surprised Tiffany did as told. She lay down and breathed heavily. She had recoiled quite by accident. Now she felt foolish. What was wrong with her? What did Scar now think of her? Some kind of scared idiot ... scared of the dark...scared of what she might find in the dark? Come on Tiff, get a grip!

Go back to your corner Tiffy girl!... Feelings of humiliation began to replace those of surprise. Tiffany stood up again.

"Coming back for round two?" A mocking voice floated over in the gloom.

Tiffany scowled. This wasn't going so great. "Look... I am trying here...I don't get trapped in a dark prison cell every with a - a ..." Tiffany's response petered out into the grey shadows.

"A ... psychopath? Huh?" The voice provided, quietly.

"No! I didn't say that!" Tiffany took a few steps closer back to the woman chained to the wall. "Why won't you just get down off your high horse and cut me some slack here?" Tiffany was getting mad again. And that wasn't a very productive thing to do, she knew. But felt her control sliding with every passing minute. Damn, what was wrong with her? Why was this woman getting... under her skin so much?

"Hey..." There was a rattle against wall. "I would love to get down off here, believe me!" Scars voice carried a note of tiredness, and Tiffany again felt pity.

"Sorry." She admitted.

There was a pause.

"Yeah, sure." a flat reply.

Tiffany said nothing for a while. She couldn't think of anything to say. And small talk was pretty darned pointless. She slumped down against the wall where she was and covered herself as much as she could with her blanket. She needed to think. Needed to come up with some kind of plan. There must be some way of ... getting out of here...

Some minutes passed, as Tiff silently sank into herself, going over her first few weeks at the Townsend Agency.

Getting used to replacing the angel who had left, Sabrina Duncan. Kris and Kelly had given her a basic idea of who Sabrina was, and how she affected everyone's lives at the agency... but Tiff now wondered what special kind of person it took to be one of Charlie's...angels. Was she this kind of person? Did she really have what it took to replace someone like Sabrina Duncan? She had obviously been a huge part of Jill, Kris, and Kelly's lives. She wondered where she was now... somewhere happy... having a happy time with her family she supposed. She shook herself mentally. This was getting her nowhere.

"I'm here..." The low voice jolted Tiffany from her meandering thoughts.

"Hello! Are you just going to ignore me now?"

Tiffany took in a deep breath.

"Nope, not going to ignore you...Scar. But please... tell me your name. Who are you?'' she asked willing to know a little more about the person she had to trust now.

''I'm no one anymore. Just Scar.'' her cell mate said flatly.

Tiffany paused a little. She would not push anymore. She sensed the pain behind the words and stopped. But stopped only to think better about her idea.

Then she was sure. She looked where she supposed Scar would be. '' I want to go over a plan with you. Are you in the mood for a little dancing?" Tiffany's musings had sparked off an idea.

Another chuckle emanated from across the cell.

"Well, I could sure use the practice..."

A year ago.

Helen turned the light on to face the bench on the underground laboratory.

Rose opened a medical refrigator and gave her a small pack of genetic material closed in small boxes made of hard glass.

Helen nodded and in the absolute silence blinked her eye on the microscope.

''It seems to be progressing even further that we ever imagined Rose.''

She said quietly.

''Is it?'' she asked with interest and looked through the lens too. ''Seems to be in a good way.''

''When will you have the next embryo cell samples?'' asked Hellen impatient to continue her work. She pushed Rose harmlessly aside.

''Will be another week.'' she sighed. ''I'm still working on that woman. Changed her mind last minute.''

''It's okay. She will come back. They all do.''

''Yeah, they all do...''

''Hey Rose! Don't be like this! We're really close!'' she paused. ''What, you're scared?''

Rose shook her head and searched through the labels of a drawer.

''That's good then. You shoudn't be afraid of science. This will be a whole new start on genetics! Just imagine the feel we changed the world!''

''Helen, are you sure about this? I know I've asked you before but... the third stage will be the most risky one. Are you still-''

''Rose! We are almost done!''

Rose nodded again and gave her another sample. Helen chose the finest needle on the tray, almost invisible with a bare eye. Slowly she injected a blood vessel with the help of her microscope. She held her breath and withdrew the needlepoint.

''I think we're ready for stage 3 what do you think Rose?'' she asked, like she didn't really care.

''I think-''

Her voice was cut short by a knock on the door.

They both both stopped everything and looked at te door as if they could see through.

''Open the door! Police!''

Hellen held her breath and looked at Rose. ''Who could know you took the keys to the laboratory tonight?''

Rose put her hand on her mouth. ''No one... no one is supposed to be here... no-''

''Let's get out of here! Now!''

They opened a door on their left and started a frenetic run through a snow white corridor. Rose stopped and turned.

''Helen the samples! The research!''

''Forget about them! Let's go!''

And they kept running until they were outside the big building of Mercy hospital, until the police siren could not be heard anymore.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Bear with me, Paper Angels is to be updated soon!**_

_**Laeyball. **_

_**Dear SME. I would like to thank you for your nice review. Yes, English is my second language and yes, I have a betareader, you should be able to see it on the AN. Now, everybody, enjoy this thing down there coz... it took us a lot of effort. I hope you like and review!**_

_**Lilikap.  
**_

* * *

Chapter 5

The silence in the cell was almost palpable now. Tiffany was beginning to wonder if a guard would ever come back for them. What seemed like such a long empty time passing in the dark damp cell was probably only an hour or so. Two at the most. Tiff's hands felt clammy. She just wanted something to happen... her adrenalin was reaching fever pitch.

"Someone's coming..." Scar muttered nonchalantly. A second or two after she had said this, Tiffany also heard the boot scrapes coming down the corridor. A sound that she had only just come to focus on, in her dark imprisonment.

Tiffany's stomach coiled up like a spring. If they could just ...

The keys rattled in the door once more, and Tiffany scrambled ready for whatever was to come next.

The crack of light became wider as shadow loomed in through the door, showing...not one, but two guards entering.

Tiff cursed inwardly. No matter...no time... She threw herself towards the first guard.

"Oh please oh god you gotta help her ...I think she's dead!" Tiff squealed out as much panic as she could muster. The guard, slightly off balance as a squawking female hit him in the chest, stepped back, then caught Tiff by the wrists. The second guard overtook him and went towards his manacled prisoner.

"Do something! She - she had a heart attack or something! I think she's dead! Oh my god!" Tiffany continued to bombard the officer with her ranting pleas.

"Hey stop it! STOP IT!" He tried to calm his panicked prisoner down.

"Just stop and stand back!" He ordered, as Tiffany wriggled like a panicked rabbit in his grasp, sobbing and yelling, causing the guard to lose focus.

Scar felt rather than saw her enemy approach. With an immense effort, she kicked and threw her legs around his neck, and before he could react, she twisted her ankles violently around the base of his skull. He was dead before he hit the ground. Tiffany heard the slight scuffle then attacked with her own pent up anger and ferocity. She let fly with a powerful kick to the man's groin and he dropped like a stone, and was then sent reeling to the floor with a crashing kick to the side of his head. Tiffany immediately retrieved his weapon and keys and also his handcuffs. After securing him on the floor, she quickly stepped over to the other guard who was also floored.

"He's dead. Get me down." The woman grunted. Tiffany did as she was told and tried every key to the cuffs holding Scar. She worked feverishly and finally, one fit. With a quick twist, she dropped free. Tiff instinctively caught her round the waist and for a split second, the wiry woman seemed to rest on her. For a split second. Then she was up, and they were both running out of the cell and down the corridor, searching for a way out.

Running, dragging a thin and exhausted prisoner behind her, not caring who she was or what had brought her here, Tiffany seized the moment, begging her creator for a way out right now.

But the only ways out were suddenly blocked by a team of armed guards. Armed not with bullets, but with water.

"Back!" Tiffany gasped, and turned her self to protect her companion. In the next instant, they were both hit with a massive bulge of water jetting at them, knocking them off their feet completely and along the corridor back to where they had run from. Tiffany miraculously still had hold of Scars hand, and as the water battered her own weakened and slim frame once more, she still clung on to that hand with all her might. They both were sent cascading and crashing along floor and wall, until they were finally stopped and pinned up against a wall that appeared to rise up out of nowhere. The guards advanced, positioning themselves to give everything they had at the erroneous prisoners.

Tiffany felt the same wave of helpless agony overcome her as before, and even as she tried with all her might, she now could no longer hold onto the woman she had just tried to rescue. As her body was pounded continuously and without mercy, as her lungs filled with water, as her thoughts greyed and darkened, she was only dimly aware of that precious contact slipping away, almost finger by finger... then gone. The blackness impinged further until her breath was no more...she let the light take her...

Cold...so sick of of being cold... what the hell is the point in fighting any more?

She cracked open her eyes, feeling the new bruises melding with the old ones, giving pain yet one more hold on her tired and battered body.

She shifted, tried to ease her legs out from under her, knowing that she needed to work the stiffness out as soon as she could. Always be ready... ... whatever comes next, always be ready...

She felt the chain around one wrist only this time. Then realised that she had been also been cuffed by one ankle

Well, halleluja they finally got the point! She muttered to herself, as she tried pulling herself up into a sitting position against the bars she felt behind her. Things were beginning to get interest...

Tiff! The girl! Scar turned and tried to see where the girl had gone to...was she here? Her eyes roamed the cell, squinting, peering through the greyness. Wait... what was that? Something on the floor ... she tried to move closer but the ankle cuff stopped her.

It must be her...

"Hey...!" Scar called out hoarsely to the bundle nearby. No response.

"Hey, uh, Tiff...!" She again called out, louder this time, but still...nothing. The bundle refused to move. Oh come on, wake up! You gotta wake up and move or... she knew that if left, the girl could go hypothermic... She leaned as far over as she could and stretched out her hand, hoping to be able to touch her .. just try and prod some part of her and try to rouse her. She gritted her teeth and pulled and stretched out on the floor hard against the chains, and found she could almost touch her foot. Just ..a little more...

"Tiff! Hey Tiff! Come one, wake up! Tiff! Tiff!" Maybe she could hear...just needed some more encouragement... worth trying to shout some more, she reasoned.

Tiff ...Tiff...Tiff...Tiff...a voice echoing in her head brought her senses back slowly, as she again felt deathly chills wracking her numbed body. She began to shiver in shock again, and she curled into a ball, gripping herself, trying to piece together everything that blacking out had seemed to wipe her mind of. Dammit, so ... cold! Gotta stop shivering.

Gotta get control...

"Th-thanks - I th-think!" Tiffany replied, without enthusiasm."G-got a pot of coffee going on over there? Could sure do with some right now!"

Scar chuckled despite the cold. "Still got no sugar either, huh?"

"D-darn, knew I forgot something!" Tiff tried to smile between the subsiding shivers. She groaned.

"Jeez, I can't take any more of these cold showers though!"

"Tell me about it. You okay now?" Tiff felt oddly touched by the small note of concern in her voice.

"Will be. You? How the hell do you ...?"

"I'm okay. I got me a hot water bottle over here...!"

It was Tiffany's turn to chuckle. Then she became serious.

"Look, I'm sorry... I thought we could have got somewhere ... I guess ... I underestimated things..."

"No...it's okay. Hey, we tried, huh?"

Tiff leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, feeling a deep exhaustion sweep over her. The shivering had almost stopped. She might be able to sleep a little while...

"I'm a little tired...gonna...just..." Tiffany felt her mind drift and drift, a welcome darkness consume all her thoughts.

"Hey NO! Hey Tiff, NO! WAKE UP!" This was a bad idea. Sleeping in this state could cost you, Scar knew.

"HEY DAMMIT! Tiffany, wake up! You can't sleep! DON'T"

Tiffs eyes fluttered a little. Go away! I just need to sleep. Leave...alone...

Scar struggled with all her strength back across the floor and lunged at Tiff. But she had drawn her legs up, and now there was no way she could reach her.

Dammit!

"TIFFANY WAKE UP PLEASE! I - DAMMIT - I NEED YOU!"

Kris looked around, at last let out in the dozing sun. She shook her head to clear her vision and wondered if Tiffany was somewhere between the talking like busy bee's groups.

She looked carefully but when she realised she couldn't trace her she decided to try a different approach She closed by a group of talking women. Her attention was almost immediately drawn to a laughing broad shouldered girl.

She pointed at another woman and they both laughed louder.

''You should have seen her face! Ha! Priceless!''

Her interest was piqued now as she leaned closer to listen carefully. They might have some information about Tiffany.

Or she could ask... when they stopped joking.

''Yes!'' answered the woman twisting her finger around her head. ''She went on insane mode! Poor blondy! She didn't see THAT coming!''

Blondy? What were the chances they were talking about Tiffany? Many... there weren't many blonds around... she thought. Hell, she should ask.

''Hey, am sorry... when you say blond.. was it a girl... around that height...'' she pantomimed to indicate the height and size of her friend.

''Might be... Dunno...'' muttered the butch woman.

''Well... she is tall blond... Tiffany? You heard that name?''

''Hey, you're saying the girl who got in a fight with the nutcase!

''Tiffany was her name, right girls?'' Many of them nodded.

Then Kris felt like she was being showered with ice, ice more cold than the one that previously welcomed her.  
Her mouth opened but closed again. She needed too know how bad it was... but... could she bear it?

''Hey...''

''Hey... what do you mean fight?'' She uttered.

''Well fight means fight...'' shrugged the woman.

''You mean like...''

''Well, the guard pulled Scar away... but she managed some nice blows, if that's what you mean... they took the blond one with them later... dunno where to.''

''Was she...okay?''

''The blond? I dunno... kind of dozed lying on the ground... why do you ask? You buddies?''

''Eeer...''

She stuttered over what to say and found that nothing fit. She had to get to Tiff somehow..

But... still... how could she know what they said was truth?

''No, we're not... we were just.. transferred together from another prison... not that I care.''

She shrugged showing uninterested but her insides were boiling. Who did this ''Scar'' woman thinks she is? Attacking someone like this!

''What exactly happened with this Scar?'' she asked looking in a wall on the other side of the prison.

''Well, we just made them party together hehe!''

''You mean...''

''It was hilarious sister! You should have seen them! This blondy girl didn't even have a chance''

''Impossible...she-''

''Hey, why do you ask so many questions?''

The woman gave her a playful push hard enough to cause her some pain on the ribs.

She smiled and pushed back carefully.

''Nah, nothing. Just heard about a fight and was wondering what I missed...''

''Oh...''

''Yep, blondy will be mad as hell hahah! And let's just not discuss about Scar! Good thing they won't be up soon. What are you in for sister?''

''I... trespassing...''

''Oh? Interesting! Cops found ya out?''

''Nope... owner.'' She muttered, her mind on fire in search of Kelly. Where the hell could she be?

Kelly slipped on her new shirt. Finally clean clothes. Surprisingly none questioned her on why she needed another shirt.

She looked herself on the mirror of the guards locker room and smiled. She got interrupted by a knock on the door. Jason came in.

''Hey Kelly... they need you in the Governor's office.''

''Oh? Really?''

Instinctively she smoothed her clothes and cleared her throat.

''I'll take you there.''

''Okay, thanks.''

''And... I'm... sorry for before..''

''It's okay, don't worry. Now take me to her office because... to tell you the truth I got absolutely no idea where to go.''

Jason smiled and reached for her hand but she pretended she didn't see followed him upstairs through many corridors wondering what this woman may need of her...Finally, in front of the great door of the office they halted. He nodded. ''I'll wait here for you.'' Kelly knocked and tried one more time to imagine what particular use she she herself might be. Sometime soon she had to find sure no-one was in the room so she could sneak inside.

Could Jason help with that? Maybe... but not now.

She knocked again.

There was a cough from inside, a choking sound and then a voice. ''Come in.''

Kelly closed the door behind her and stood in front of it, feeling like a school kid in front of a teacher.

Helen made a sign and Rose left.

She sat on her seat and nodded for Kelly to come closer.

''Kelly.'' she started. ''I understand you are military trained.''

Kelly raised her eyebrows and wondered what else Charlie wrote on her file.

''Yes ma'am.''

''Very good. You are one of the few guards to be allowed on the underground.''

Kelly gasped. Underground? What the...

''And I do not want you to ever say a word of what you see or hear, or do in this office or underground. Understood?''

''Yes ma'am.''

A cold shiver run down her spine. This was not good... but it might be a step closer to their goal... it might be of some help. Extra access was always accepted in their line of work.

''I want you to get down there immediately. There was a fuss a little earlier. Some guards are cleaning now."

''Understood.''

''Ask them to get you to the source of this riot. Eliminate any possible danger of escape. Do you understand me? I want these two to understand there is no way out of here and actions of this kind are not tolerated. Understood?''

"Yes Governor."

Kelly wondered if she had to salute like a military but abandoned the idea as the woman showed her the door.

''When you're finished I want you to come here and report. Remember. I do not want them dead. But make my intolerance...known...You are free to go.''

She got out and closed the door. Jason had left but a hand got ahold of hers.  
Rose. She turned and looked at her. She hadn't been much of help either. In the dark she could see the panic in her eyes.  
''What are you doing?'' she asked in a whispering voice.

''Me?''

''Your blond friend made a damn ruckus down there! You should stay out of the lights! Now what is that?''

''Kris?''

''No, the Wells girl. Get down there and do what you need to do but the blond is not to be touched. She is precious. I just got her blood tested.''

''I-''

''You will not touch her. The Governor will understand.''

''Like I would!''

Thank God... she muttered to herself and then got a good look at what Rose had in her hand. Could it be...

''Is that a...whip?'' Kelly's eyes opened in horror. What had they gotten themselves into?

Rose shoved it into her hand.

"There are two of them. Follow your orders and do not touch the blond. If you ever want to get out of there you have to follow orders! Now go.''

She looked at the horrific instrument with disgust. There must be something she could do... something.

Jason!

''Where is Jason?''

''I sent him away. He does not know about all this and will not find out. Now go and don't make any stops on your way there. A guard will lead you. Mark! Get her down there! Now!'' she yelled to someone and immediately a tall man emerged from the shadows.

Kelly tried to control the tremble on her hands and followed him.

Rose got inside and faced Helen.

''She's got the blood type.'' she announced.

Hellen rose from her seat. ''That's great. Did you-''

''Yes I gave additional orders to your guard. Don't worry. She'll be unharmed.''

''As soon as we finish this bring her in the lab.''

''Will do.''

The guard pointed out the cell that help the two prisoners she was to... correct. She dismissed him then took a deep breath.

She looked down at the offensive weapon in her hand. She could feel her palm sweating as she held it. It made her feel nauseous. Okay kelly. Let's get this over with. She took the key she was also furnished with, unlocked the door, and opened it slowly, keeping a cautious distance until the door swung fully open.

A slightly stale smell emanated from the room and she wrinkled her nose. It could have been worse though, she decided.

Scar swung her head round in surprise when she heard the lock rattle. Damn! What now? Well maybe, just maybe, the freak might just bring this girl round. She dropped her head, and lay down still, but was able to catch sight of the shadow silhouetted against the corridor lights.

A strange flicker of a distant memory slipped through her mind, then was smothered in an instant, by the immediate danger. She held her breath, waiting for... God knew whatever was coming next.

Silence. The guard hadn't moved. What the hell was she doing? Looked like a she...could be wrong...then..steps... into the cell. Shallow breathing. Then the steps moved away from her and over towards the girl, Tiff. She cocked her head up slightly, to watch the guard bend over Tiff. The only light now was coming from the corridor lights. She felt a shift of air on her face, as the cell was somewhat refreshed by more air.

"Hey, Tiff!" Kelly said in a low voice and shook her shoulder gently. Kelly's gaze could only take in so much, in the dim-lit room, but she could sense enough to see that Tiff had been in a lot of trouble. Tiff didn't respond.

On the floor a few yards away, the woman known only as Scar, lifted her head off the floor. She felt every muscle in her body go rigid. That voice. That. Voice. She...knew ...that voice... another memory was evoked suddenly. She saw a dark haired woman laughing, joking around, a room... another woman... a man...


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter six

Kelly tried again to wake Tiff, by tapping her cheek lightly. "Please Tiffany, wake up, huh? It's me..."

She began to tremble then. It seemed like every muscle in her body was turning to liquid. Believe it? Don't believe? Are you not still ... in a nightmare...? But... somehow...this felt...so so real. She really looked now. Concentrated on the figure crouching over the girl.  
This... no! Her logic ... her mind wanted to blank out every single possibility in the universe that this person could be right here right now...but yet her heart... the thing her heart yearned for right now ... appeared to be just a few finger-tips away from her. She opened her mouth.  
"K-Kelly...?" She whispered out, the warmth of the name permeating the cold of the room.  
Silence.  
Her heart dropped. She allowed her head to fall again. It was ... a terrible terrible nightmare from which she would never awaken.  
Kelly heard the faint whisper and her heart seemed to stop dead in her chest. Her hand froze at Tiffany's shoulder, the whip dropped from her other hand, making a soft sound on the floor. She knew that voice...oh my god she knew that voice so well. She turned her head slowly. Her knees suddenly felt weak. Adrenalin was causing havoc in her system. Kelly stood slowly and turned to the other figure on the floor.  
Disbelieve crackled in her mind. This can't be...surely? This cannot be... yet... she knew that voice, it was imprinted on her mind and memories for all time. She stooped down to the prone figure and touched a shoulder, almost fearing something would break.

The touch sparked a reaction and the woman gasped and pulled back into herself, lifting her head and allowing Kelly to see her face for the first time. And then she knew instantly. It was her. God, in all the places she had to be... it was her.  
"Bri...?!" Kelly uttered incredulously, a lump forming in her throat. "S-Sabrina...?"

She slowly got to her feet, the woman in front of her... this woman pretending to be someone else... helping her, it seemed...no this was all wrong! This was all part of the nightmare... not real, not real at all! She groaned within herself. Too much. Too much. Can't...can't take any more. Done now. All done. She stood, limp, lifeless, felt nothing as the hope, the light, everything good left in her began to drain away.  
"Sabrina... oh my god..." from the pale light sifting through into the cell, Kelly could make out a horrific line down her old friends face. "...Oh my God..." Kelly could only utter these three words as she finally processed the terrible state her dear friend was in. She reached her hand out towards that awful scar, tenderly trailing a finger down where the skin had been so violently ... opened. She felt tears then, and allowed them to fall.

"Oh Sabrina...!" Kelly's voice broke and she pulled Sabrina into a fierce yet warming embrace.  
"You're safe now!" She muttered into Sabrina's hair. Hair that had once been so lustrous and well looked after, now hung in such neglect. Kelly hugged her closer, yet Sabrina stood lifeless still. Kelly carefully pulled away a little, to look once more into her face.

The leeching darkness gave way to... a little light... some sound... had there just been someone talking to her? Tiffany raised her head from her chest and tried to open her so heavy eyes. The mind played a lot of tricks on you, she thought, as she tried to refocus. But she felt sure she'd just heard Kelly's voice...? She turned to the source of the light, then trained her eyes back into the cell. Yes. Another guard...with the woman... oh no. Tiffany scrambled up as quickly as her aching joints would allow her, and stepped over to where she saw ... Kelly! Oh! She sighed with relief. Thank God! But the woman... she looked ... Tiffany stopped a moment and took in the scene. The two were staring at each other. What was going on here...?

She was suddenly afraid for Kelly, who appeared to be unarmed. What the heck was Kelly thinking of, coming in here unarmed? The hairs on the back of Tiff's neck stood up as she now felt an atmosphere of something going off between these two. Well She wasn't about to let this woman go for Kelly - chains or no chains. She stepped over as far as the ankle cuff would allow, and out her hand onto the womans shoulder.  
"Hey... don't ..." The next thing she knew she had been shrugged and pushed away, and she stumbled backwards, trying to keep her balance among the ironware at her feet.

The woman took a small step towards Kelly and held both her arms out, as if asking for something. She was asking. Sabrina was now - finally - in a long long time - asking for help. She saw ... she saw Kelly now. she knew she really existed right there in front of her and now more than anything else in the world, she, Scar - Sabrina needed Kelly's help like never before. Kelly stepped once more up to Sabrina and brought her into her embrace, and this time, she felt Sabrina return her feelings for all she was worth.

Tiffany watched in bewilderment ... utter confusion...who was this woman... that held Kellys affections so dear? Who was ... but then she knew. Oh my god, she suddenly knew. Somehow ... through fate... fear... violence... the angels had been reunited...

Kelly lost herself for a brief moment. It seemed endless. Sabrina buried her face on her shoulder. It seemed weird to see her like this. Fragile. Kelly wouldn't pause to think. She didn't want to. Her instinct told her not to talk, not to pull away. Just stay there. No questions asked.  
But surprisingly Sabrina was the one to pull away.  
She stopped and uttered something Kelly couldn't make out. Her brown eyes raced from her face to Tiffany's. Her expression changed completely. She didn't seem calm anymore. She didn't seem like the old Sabrina. Well, she didn't seem like her old self before too but now it was something different.  
She took a step back and Kelly tried to pull her back into her embrace but she avoided her. Deflected her and stepped back once more.  
She seemed scared, now Kelly could see that. Tiffany could too. Though she couldn't make much of her facial expression she could read her body language. She was taking a defensive pose.  
Defensive to who? Kelly? Why? If she is Sabrina Duncan then... why?  
Then, as the tall figure almost tumbled to the floor and and hugged her knees it hit her.  
Sabrina felt she was under an icy cold draught. Like that last step on the staircase in the night, the one you believe is there but in the end you find yourself stepping on air.  
Icy cold fall...  
She breathed heavily as the last remains of the person she was crumbled to the ground leaving her exposed.  
She could do nothing more than hold onto the last happy memory she had. The touch of the baby skin on her arms. The joyful laughs, reward on every pain motherhood can bring. And then the gunshot echoed in her ears.  
The memory slipped away, fell apart. And so did she.  
''NO!'' she heard herself scream but she herself did not get up.  
Kelly wasn't there, she could now understand this. It was like the other time, the one she thought she woke on the Agency couch after a hang over. The time she thought the face looking at her was Jill. And... the dim silhouette Bosley.  
But of course it wasn't. Instead she had found herself in the same damn rotten cell she kept waking for so long.  
Kelly had stretched a hand to help her up, surprised, thinking she had fallen but with the scream she pulled it away, even more surprised. She just stood there, trying to get her mind to work. Trying to comprehend first that Sabrina was there, of all places, she was there, in this dark hell. And then... to comprehend the state she was in. Too much. Too much she told herself, and once more allowed tears to fall down her cheeks as she read agony in her friends eyes. But the stark truth was, she read more than just the agony. She read fear too, but she did not want to accept that the once so proud and fearless Sabrina Duncan could give that look. And... to her.

Sabrina pulled her gaze from Kelly's eyes breaking their bond violently. She looked at her feet and then at Tiffany managing a small sound deep in her throat.  
Tiffany, still numb from the whole situation still could not at all realise what was going on. She IS Sabrina Duncan. But why is she reacting like this with Kelly?  
She got to her feet and suddenly both their shadows darkened the small place in which Sabrina had curled.  
She put a hand on Kelly's shoulder to ask her but she shook her hand away.  
Kelly crouched in front of Sabrina, stretching a hand to touch her but she pulled away and closed her eyes.  
''Stop it.'' she whispered.  
''Hey Sabrina...'' Kelly felt the sting of fear to her gut. What was wrong? ''Stop what?'  
''Stop it!''  
Her voice had stiffened to a brittle sound this time as her eyes shut tighter. Kelly tried to touch her again but Tiffany pulled her back.  
''Kelly, let her be.''  
''Tiffany... I do not understand!''  
''Kelly ,look at me.'' she said, as calmly as she she could. ''Is this Sabrina Duncan?''  
''Like hell she is! But it feels like she's... had some kinda lobotomy! Or something!''  
''It's okay. Why are you here?! We shouldn't be seen together!''  
Sabrina could hear them talk but couldn't make out the words  
Her ears thumped with a sound like a distant wave. She let go of herself. It didn't matter anymore.  
''Kelly, why are you here?!'' Tiff urged again, looking around to see if anybody's attention was on them  
Kelly's hand trembled a little. ''Oh my God... what am I supposed to do now?'' she whispered to Tiffany and sat on the ground, defeated.

The truck bumped and spurted it's way up over a badly maintained mountain pass. There were around ten or so women all wearing the same resigned expression...knowing that their day was going to be the same as any other day up in the mountains. ...

...that of drudgery...that of back breaking toiling in the clay...that of sweating it out under a still warm, sluicing late autumnal sun. Kris glanced around surreptitiously at the girls who were her ...companions on this trip to... she knew not where. But as she peered closely at their faces, she realised that, each and every one of them had been ...here before...perhaps some few times...  
And judging by the weariness and the looks on their faces, probably a lot more than just a few times.

There were four guards inside the truck, all of whom didn't look particularly interested in their charges welfare. But Kris knew, that if she even so much as coughed, she would attract unwelcome attention. She would have to just literally keep her head down for now

The truck bumped and whined its way for at least another two miles before slowing right down and finally coming to a grinding stop.

All four guards stood and, as one pulled back the studded tarp, the rest jumped out. THe one holding the tarp gave the order for them to get out. Like, as if they had any choice...Kris eyed their weapons unenthusiastically.

She recognised the AKA 40's with some little respect. They weren't messing about here. One wrong move and it was all over in a heartbeat...

"Hey what the hell you gawking at Blondie?! Move it!" She was rudely prodded out of her thoughts by the muzzle of said weapon poked in her back, and she was propelled forward along with the rest of her group toward - she finally took a good look around her. And cursed mutely. This was going from bad to worse.

As she was hustled along, Kris kept glancing around her surroundings, trying to glean as much information as possible and filing it away. What she came to realise up to point was, that they seemed to be heading into some kind of processing plant. There were production lines bridging into the plant and other pipelines feeding out... but what the hell was being processed here, she had no idea.  
"HEY I said MOVE IT!"  
Another shove in the back from one of her escorts almost sent her tumbling into the dirt. one or two of the other prisoners turned to see what the problem was, and received similar treatment for their interest. Kris recovered and allowed herself to be herded into the building along with everyone else.  
From fading weary daylight back into bright cranked up artificial lighting. The endless change of mood lighting was beginning to give Kris a headache... she sighed and waited for further instructions, in the brightly lit hallway they were assembled in. Right now, all she really wanted to do was sleep ... and sleep and sleep. She felt so exhausted to her very bones that she doubted even an earthquake would worry her any if she could doze off. She stood, eyelids almost drooping, towards the back of the group. She vaguely wondered how Tiffany was, and if Kelly had managed to get to her... but even these concerned thoughts were being routed out into the bottomless blear of her sleep starved mind.  
"Okay ... ladies!" Another strident voice startled Kris back to the here and now, and she looked up to see yet more guards coming their way. She heard the odd groan and mutter from a few of her fellow prisoners, but right now, she didn't really have the energy to give much notice to their particular anxieties.  
"if you think you've been transferred over her for some little respite... then ... think again!" The voice boomed out with it's taunting overtones.  
Kris didn't even bother to look up to see who the voice belonged to. The tiredness that had been threatening her all day, was now breaking over her in powerful waves, just like the waves that used to crash her as she learned to surf as a teen...

"Get them some tools and get them across onto the clay pits immediately!" The voice ordered. Kris almost laughed. Clay pits? Clay pits?! She was so darned tired... she felt she might just giggle at the idea of a hundred little stripey prisoners playing around in sandpits all day... Oh my God Kris! She shot her head up and blinked rapidly, trying to bring herself round, mentally slapping herself. Oh come on! Stay on your feet! Tiff... and Kelly... they need you! Come on! She sucked in a deep breath and mentally shook herself to, with all she could muster.  
The group, including Kris, were then herded through more doors and disappeared. The hall became silent once more, the glaring lights keeping vigil over empty spaces and dusty shadows once more.

Tiffany cast a glance at ... Sabrina ... that name felt strange in her mind now... like it didn't really fit at all... then she took Kelly by the shoulders, as she knelt down to her.  
"Kelly - can you tell me what is going on here - please?" She tried to gaze intently into Kelly's eyes, but in the gloom, she wasn't sure Kelly was even looking at her directly.  
Kelly did then look up at Tiff.  
"Tiff, I - " she faltered. "I've been sent down here by the governor of this facility to... reprimand... Sabrina - Scar..." She sighed heavily.  
Tiffany blinked and frowned. Then the penny dropped.  
"Reprimand? You mean... you..."  
"Yeah."  
"You can't...!" Tiffany's voice became full of breaking anxiety.  
"No of course not!" Kelly at once re-assured Tiffany. "But what the hell am I supposed to do? These are my orders Tiff... I - oh God...!" Kelly let her head drop again, but then she tried to regain some feeling of control. She stood up, and Tiffany rose with her. Kelly went towards Sabrina and Tiffany tried to follow, but was immediately hindered by the chains.  
"Damn!" Tiff cursed in the half light.  
"Oh!" kelly looked back to see Tiffany standing, looking kind of...trapped.  
"Here Tiff...wait... I think I have a key..." Kelly checked her bunch, then fished through and found what she was looking for. She unlocked Tiffany's cuffs and Tiff stepped free.  
"Thank you!" Tiff squeezed Kelly's arm, then they both turned back to Sabrina, who was still in the position she had been in, some minutes before. Kelly quietly and slowly knelt before her long time friend.  
Tiffany knelt also, but decided to stay silent,and see how Sabrina might respond.  
Kelly was silent herself for a few moments, as she watched Sabrina stare unflinchingly at the floor in front of her.  
Kelly's heart felt like it would break into a thousand little pieces. In all their time together, she had never, never seen her dear friend in such a ... way. Never.  
"Sabrina...?" She whispered carefully. Nothing. The stare remained.

"Please...Bri...can you hear me...?" Just a little touch louder this time. Kelly was acutely aware of the fine line. The porcelain crack.

A slight movement. An almost imperceptible ...something. Kelly felt encouraged. She smiled a little.

"Bri...it's me...Kelly..." Kelly kept her tone even, but her voice was warm, her compassion giving her words the tender feelings she hoped she was conveying.  
"Please Bri, listen to my voice... it really is me...I am here... I am here for you now... will you - can you just look up and - see me...please? Know I am here?"  
More movement. Kelly looked down from Sabrina's face to watch Sabrina's arms tighten around her knees. At that moment, she felt, rather than saw... the fear. It rushed her suddenly, like a raging bull. Then was gone. Dissipated in the silence. Kelly felt suddenly, an agonising and all consuming helplessness. And a cold dread fill the space the fear had momentarily occupied. She rose slowly.  
"I...I have to go..." She whispered to no-one in particular. She turned her back abruptly and slammed the bars back to their place.  
Tiffany raised her hand to stop her but it fell to her side immediatelly as she realised she had other things that had to be done  
She glanced at Sabrina, still curled pathetically on the floor.  
She knelt beside her, without being really sure of how to approach her. She couldn't decide if touch was now appropriate.  
She put a hand on her shoulder nevertheless. ''Hey Sca- Sabrina...''  
She heard a sigh as her cellmates eyes shut and her muscles relaxed. She didn't pull away and Tiff took this as a positive sign.  
''Hey Sabrina... I...''  
She stopped as her eyes opened abruptly. ''What did you say?'' she croaked.  
''Are you... are you okay, Sabrina?''  
Tiffany figured that saying her name would be good now. She needed to hear it as much as possible, she needed to get back her stolen identity.  
''How the hell do you know that?''  
she asked and got to her feet a little too fast. The chains held her back and she ended up landing back on her knees.  
Oh, no, Tiff thought hurriedly. Kelly forgot to unlock her chains.  
''How do I know what?'' she asked, remembering the question.  
''My name... how do you...?''  
''Kelly... told me...''  
''What?!''  
And suddenly the ragged woman with the scar shot forward and grabbed her collar. ''You... you know Kelly?!''  
At this distance Tiffany could see her eyes glittering with expectation, feverish hope.  
''Yeh, she was just in here... remember?'' she uttered, putting her hands gently on Sabrina's. She realised what she was doing and let go.  
''In here?'' she asked with disbelief.  
''Yeah, but you... wouldn't... aknowledge her... What is wrong Sa-''  
Sabrina looked around and put her finger on her lips.. ''Shhhh! Don't call me this in here!''  
''I don't under-''  
''Kelly was... really in here?''  
''Yes!''  
Tiffany put both of her hands on Sabrina's shoulders. ''Yes she was! She was! It's okay now!''  
Then she realised her speech had slowed like she was talking to a crazy person. But then... Sabrina Duncan was not too far from the crucial line between sanity and craziness.  
Slowly Sabrina removed the hands from her shoulders and her face started to shift expressions, a nice change, Tiff thought, from the usual expressionless apathy.  
Right now Tiffany could sense the big question in her eyes. ''It's okay. It really is.'' she repeated carefully.  
One single phrase was enough for Sabrina to express all of what she was feeling. All the struggle to hold on to sanity by her fingernails and yet ... feel herself slipping in chaos.  
''Is... it possible?''  
She asked Tiffany, the first person she had seen in months, the first person she had trusted. And apparently the only one she could trust now. ''Is it?''  
''Yes.''  
Finally she could feel the truth behind someone's words. Finally there was some hope. Finally...  
''Just a little more, okay?''  
Sabrina nodded and Tiffany found the courage to take hold of her shoulders again. ''Just a little bit more to last. That's all I ask.''  
They pulled away from the sudden crack of the bars being rolled away again. A shocking sound in the damp silence surrounding them.  
Tiffany made no sound, as the only thing she could see was an outline of a man. Surely a man. As her glare wandered around it stopped on the ''thing'' Kelly had brought with her. She hesitated even to name it.

She saw the tiny nod and she covered herself with the blanket they had apparently got from their last cell. It was soaking wet.

She heard some struggle and prepared her muscles for action, but a harsh voice stopped her breathing.  
''Don't get any ideas girl.''  
She didn't say anything but somehow felt the words were addressed to her.  
''If you move even an inch from your corner I'll shoot you ... and this one.''  
She heard some sounds of struggling and then the sound of a body falling. A bit later the bars were rolled back.  
She tossed the blanket away cursing. ''Sabrina?!''  
Then she stopped. ''Scar?'' she said in a lower voice.  
She looked around. THe chains were still hanging on the wall but she was alone in the room.  
''What the heck?!''  
''Hey?!''  
the only response was the scared echo of her voice.

Tiffany stopped dead on the spot.

She heard some sounds of struggling and then the sound of a body falling. A bit later the bars were rolled back.  
She tossed the blanket away cursing. ''Sabrina?!''  
Then she stopped. ''Scar?'' she said in a lower voice.  
She looked around. THe chains were still hanging on the wall but she was alone in the room.  
''What the heck?!''  
''Hey?!''  
The only response was the scared echo of her voice.

He allowed the door of the cell to slam shut behind him. He had done it now. It was over. The struggle inside of him however, was still waging war. He took in a deep breath, then exhaled, in the relative silence of the corridor. He would need to get some help. What he had just done could not be left ...to fester. Something would have to be done. He walked briskly away from his charge and went to find a colleague with the means of communication.  
Tiffany sat motionless on the floor of her cell. She couldn't find the words in her own mind even to describe her feelings to herself right now. All she knew now, was that...Sabrina was gone...Kelly was gone...and Kris was missing somewhere within this Goddam stinking hole. Tiffany was a logistical thinking person though. She felt her instincts rise a little, despite the circumstances. There was something else ... something else...she knew it...she felt it...with every bone in her body...something else ... or someone else ...was going to intervene...she just knew it.  
So she waited. Tiffany waited for whatever came next. There always, always was... whatever came next. And Tiffany Welles always dealt with...whatever came next. So she waited.

Kris glanced at the pale blue sky, finding no comfort whatsoever it it's purity. Pure. What the hell was pure in this life, huh? she wondered silently to herself, as she was led, along with the other prisoners..back towards...whatever fate or facility awaited her.  
As she was shuffled along, back from their intolerable workload, Kris tried to recall anything so arduous she had found she had needed to encounter... as part of ... dammit...she was so tired she couldn't even think straight any more. Just who was she? Where the hell was she? What the hell was she doing... in a place... like ...this...?!  
But before another treacherous thought could bubble up... something else bubbled up in her tired and exhausted mind..  
Kris felt pangs of guilt and shame and frustration wracking her mind...nothing was right! Nothing was going at all right! What the hell should she do now? She had lost ... both Tiffany and Kelly it seemed! Kris suddenly loathed herself. Even more than life itself... As she was led back from the work strip, back to their compound, Kris's head hung low. Defeat. Defeat was her only companion now...along with total and unutterable exhaustion.  
The beautiful ornate doors presented themselves once again to Kelly. She didn't think she would ever get used to seeing them. They took her breath away, even in this awful place. Her guess was... that the Governor had the same idea. She herself needed something so beautiful in a place so dire and retributional. She used the heavy ornate lions head rapper to announce her approach. She still felt like a a school girl approaching the headmistress, whichever way she looked at it.  
Another silence. Kelly hated silences. She opened one of the heavy doors and pushed, letting herself into the room that her Governor occupied. She knew she had something ... untoward to tell her..and this made her nervous. But what made her even more nervous..was the sight of the terribly ill looking person that now confronted her. Kelly even felt... no...not the time. She packed the compassionate feelings away and stood up straight, ready to admit her faults to the Governor, ready to take blame and... retribution for her failings...  
"So... Kelly..." The Governor addressed her as soon as she stepped in the room.  
Kelly walked with purpose further up towards the Governor, even as she gave Kelly a steely gaze. Yet Kelly was not to be thwarted by such flimsy pretence at authority. She knew she had made her bed. She knew she would now have to lie in it. She stood before Helen Chambers and waited for the judgement call.  
"Governor..." Kelly began... her thoughts of pre-empting the situation foremost in her mind.  
"No Kelly...please...allow me to speak!" Helen gave Kelly a glare, then shifted a little in her seat behind the huge antique desk. Kelly really wanted then...to shrink out of sight. That's right Kelly, she damned herself for the millionth time... wish the impossible...  
Yet even as this thought seeped through her mind, the adult Kelly snapped back and stood to attention, returning the icy glare back to her Governor.  
"You have done very well, Kelly...excellent... in fact!" Helen now gave Kelly a more welcoming look. Kelly blinked in surprise, but her training ensured that her facial expression remained neutral. What was the Governor trying to tell her? Kelly stood at parade ground rest, as she had been taught so many times before.  
Helen now looked Kelly straight in the eye.  
"I am very pleased with your rapid progress here, Kelly. You were given orders ... and you carried them out to the letter without question. I am very pleased. This will go well for you. Well Done. You are dismissed." And with that, Kelly realised two things almost simultaneously... First...something bad had happened since she had left Sabrina, and second... she had ...let Sabrina down... in the most terrible way she could only ever imagine. Kelly thanked the Governor with as much enthusiasm as she could muster, then made her escape back down towards the cells below.  
The walls were closing in... Tiffany had never suffered from claustrophobia at all.. at any time in her life... but... this... now... was..it seemed... too much... She sat in her own corner that she had kind of got used to...and ... made... reparations in her own soul.  
And as she sat and reflected, Tiffany realised a lot of things. Firstly...she realised...with a huge shift in her heart...that she was not really cut out for this kind of work. She was ... an academical person...  
...So what the hell was she doing playing around in the Private Detective pool? What the hell was she thinking?  
Her morbid thoughts were then cut short by the oh so familiar sound of locks and bolts being undone. Tiffany, caught from her self deprecatory thoughts, pulled herself around and looked towards the door to see a person being shoved through and then once again, pushed to the far wall and manacled to the cuffs and chains. Tiff remained quiet until the guards left.  
It took only a few scarce moments for Tiffany to recognise the same person thrust back into their cell. And for Tiffany, it was the most horrendous, heartbreaking moment she had ever experienced as her time with the Angels.

As she had watched this person being dragged, with no decency whatsoever, with no human regard for her ...wellbeing whatsoever...back to her chains and cuffs... all Tiffany wanted to do right then was to throw up.

She watched in utmost horror as Sabrina "Scar" Duncan was dragged bleeding,tortured, lifeless, back to be chained yet again... and left dangling, as her life slowly drained away from her sorrowfully abused form. Tiff remained quiet until the guards left.  
Then as the bolts were shot home once more and she was sure they were totally alone, she hurried across the floor towards the still form.  
She was aware that she was no longer chained, and thankfully got all the way up to Sabrina and stood, suddenly feeling unsure as to whether to try to touch her companion...

She suddenly felt awkward, but she didn't know why. Sabrina was obviously out of it. Whatever had been done to her ...Tiffany shivered both at the cold and at the thought of what this woman had likely just been through...  
...there was no way she was waking up any time soon. Then a more horrifying thought occurred to her..no surely...Tiffany reached her hand out and searched around Sabrina's neck, desperate at least to find life.  
Her fingers felt cold skin...but there...yes...underneath was a beat. Very slow. Too slow. But there.  
Tiffany sighed with relief.  
Sabrina had been left with one arm dangling free. Tiffany peered down at her arm and even through the gloom, could see why. Her wrist was swollen to twice it's normal size. Someone had felt compassionate enough to leave it... What the hell kind of people...?! Tiff knew she shouldn't try to move her. There were obviously fractures...breaks...Jeez what the hell was she supposed to do? Wait?  
She felt so helpless. Her own heart was beating fast, in the silence. She could almost hear it. How can a human being do these things to another? She leaned her back against the wall next to Sabrina. It was going to be a long wait. Even in the dimness of the cell, Tiffany could make out dark streaks down Sabrina's face...where blood was obviously drying.  
Again, the feeling of helplessness. She didn't even have anything to wipe this off with. Stupid, Tiff ... come one, use your brains! She then unbuttoned her shirt and used it to dab ever so carefully at Sabrina's injuries. There wasn't even a flinch of a response from her.  
"Oh God, Sabrina...I am so sorry..." she continued to dab gently at the blood, mindful of the cuts now appearing from underneath.  
Tiffany squinted at Sabrina's face. It was really too dark to see much in detail. But her own imagination could make up for the lack of daylight. She knew well enough what state Sabrina's face was in. She looked a little closer at the long scar. She gently traced a finger tip down it, saddened to her heart at such inhuman treatment. At least this scar had remained closed. She looked upwards for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts, trying to make sense of this whole mess. Then she lowered her head back to Sabrina.  
"We're going to get you out off here, okay?" She gently brushed the back of her hand down Sabrina's cheek. Will she ever wake up? God, what if...The thought sent blooms of panic through her system again. She moved her hand to check her pulse again, and found the same slow beat. Tiffany suddenly felt nauseous. She coughed, trying to clear the feeling. But it persisted. No, no...now is not the time Tiff, come on, get a grip! But the feeling came again. She stood up and hurried to the opposite corner and dry retched, coughing, her eyes streaming, her body shaking. Then as the shivering subsided, she regained control. She stood erect, taking in huge breaths, steadying herself. "Okay, Tiffany!" She gasped, in the dark. "Enough." She coughed once more, then returned to her vigil beside Sabrina Duncan...

Kelly's footsteps echoed in the silence of the slippery corridor. Something had gone wrong. Something was terribly wrong. The keys rattled on her side as she kept running desperately. She slipped and got ahold of the set of bars to regain her balance.  
She continued her menacing run until she realised she had passed by the cell Tiffany was in. She started running back.  
''Kelly! Here!'' came a small voice from somewhere. Dammit, when was she going to learn how to see in that place. She shoved the key in the lock and stormed into the depressing cell, bumping into Tiffany and sending her reeling back onto the floor.  
'I'm sorry...'' she apologised briefly as panic started stinging.  
She looked at the loosely hanging figure on the wall and made a move to that direction but Tiffany stopped her. ''Kelly what's going on?!''  
She pushed Tiffany aside and drew closer. ''Oh my God... Sabrina..''  
''Oh my God...'' she uttered and felt her feet go weak. Tiffany was behind her in an instant. ''Kelly we need to get to Charlie. This is getting out of hand. Tell our contact we're out of here.''  
''I will... I will go now...''

''This is so wrong Kelly, do you hear me? Wrong. We need to get out!'' a little bit of her panic escaped her insides and entered her voice. Kelly felt that and, being now afraid to even touch her injured friend she put a hand on Tiffany's shoulder. ''I know. It's okay. Tomorrow this time we'll be home.''  
''Home, yeah...''

''Now, am going up to our contact. And I'll arrange some ambulance to come over here. This is bad... really bad.''  
''You're right. Have you found anything?''  
''Not much, but enough to sue them for violation of human rights in here!''  
''Maybe Kris has something more.''  
''Well, either way, we're out of here.''  
Tiffany sighed as Kelly embraced her tightly. ''It's okay. I know you're scared. I am too...ok?''  
''Uh huh...''  
Tiffany pulled away and pushed Kelly forward. She was worried. She hadn't heard from Kris for a long time.  
''Go now! Hurry huh?''  
''Tiffany?''  
Tiffany knew that when Kelly used her whole name she was getting really serious.  
Kelly glanced briefly at Sabrina. ''Take care of her, will you?''  
Tiffany tried to force a smile for the sake of her friend. ''Of course Kell.'' Kelly nodded and slid the bars into place.  
She turned around and before she could understand what was happening a hand pulled Kelly into the shadows. She opened her mouth to scream but then heard a familiar voice. ''Shhh It's me!''  
''Jason?'' she asked with mild curiosity, in her mind, already talking to Rose.  
''What are you doing here Jason?!'' she asked, afraid now, he might have eavesdropped her conversation with Tiffany. And worse, he might have heard her reference to Charlie.  
''I was waiting for you.''  
''Waiting? Why?''  
''Because I knew you would be surprised when you learned that Santa's little elves accomplished your unfinished task.''  
''Huh?'  
Her jaw fell open as she started to realise what she didn't want to.  
''What do you mean little...elves?''  
''Let's say... a good friend...''  
''You... you... did this?!''  
''No need to thank me. I did it for you. No one will know.'' he said and flashed a toothsome smile.  
''You did WHAT?!''  
Her upper lip trembled a little as her hand took life on it's own. Jason caught it an inch away from his face.  
''Hey!'' he protested as tears started to roll on Kelly's cheeks.  
''What is that for?!''  
Kelly pulled her hand back bewildered and turned around, running in the corridors. He didn't follow. His hand hang on his side. ''What a crazy woman...''  
Kelly stopped a bit and held herself up. It was a hard thing to do. She felt extremely nauseous.  
It was her fault, her fault, her FAULT! If she had just tried to find Sabrina earlier and not be mad she didn't keep in touch, if she could just protect her, if, if, if. Too much for her to bear right now. The world kept spinning around her and she steadied it stubbornly. It was her only chance to make up for it now. She had to get her dear friend out of there. Her dear friends out of there. God, where was Kris?  
If she was in the same kind of mess it would be a fatal hit for the agency, but the Angels as a team too. Now she thought of it, it was the first time a mission went so terribly wrong. God, it seemed okay, it didn't scream suicide mission! Why? God why did all of this happen?  
She felt little suddenly and her feet gave away. At least she had managed to climb the stairs and the air was easier to breath up here. Her chest hurt from the intense running. She sat in the quiet dark corridor, a feeling of closeness starting to take over.  
Kelly! It is not time to weep and sob now! Her logical mind started to repair itself. She got to her feet and knocked at the door Rose had said was her office.  
''Hello?'' she said in a low voice.  
She knocked again. The small door lacked the designs Governor's office had, but it seemed still creepy.  
She knocked again and the door gave away without a sound. Kelly made a step in the room . ''Rose? Are you here?''  
She heard a small sound on her left and turned her head abruptly. Might have been some nasty little rat, she decided.  
The room was dark. The windows obviously shut and the curtains pulled up the shutters. The lights were off and it was really cold like someone forgot to turn on the heater.  
She could not see, so she decided to wait there for Rose. sooner or later she would have to come here.  
She felt for a switch on the wall but she only touched something liquid instead. Her hand pulled away on its own.  
It's just a very damp wall Kelly.  
A very damp wall.  
She felt again for a switch but could not find any. A little something crawled on her hand and she almost tumbled trying to shake it off. Nasty spider, she decided again. How could Rose work in such a creepy place?  
Damn it there is no stupid switch here. She would have to find a lamp. There is always a lamp on a working desk! She made some steps, her right foot in front of the left, searching for a hard surface.  
She could feel a soft carpet under her shoes.  
Aha! The desk at last! She traced it with her hands after falling on it with her hip. ''Ouch...''

She placed her hand flat on the surface, her fingers crawling, searching for a wire. There. She traced it back to a big lamp.  
She switched it on with a victorious smile.

Which a smile turned to a cry of horror as she saw her blood-red hand. And then then Rose.  
The petite woman was lying face down on her desk, a pool of blood turning black around her head.

In an after death spasm her fingers were closed around a pen that had started to pool its ink on the desk.

Then she saw the phone next to Rose's pale hand. She pulled it to her side but no ringing tone was heard. It was cut. Oh my God, she thought.  
She stopped and decided she had he courage to take a closer look. An open wound placed itself on Rose's left temple. Little shreds of shattered bone were glowing around her hair, having an extraordinary effect.  
Her eyes where wide open, but what Kelly found odd was the position of her legs. Nobody could have stretched their legs like that. It must have happened after death. So it meant that either someone else did it, or it means she didn't die here, she was placed there. And immediately she found what was wrong. A small .22 caliber was held tight on Roses right hand.  
First, Kelly thought, this was not a gunshot wound. And second... its impossible to shoot yourself on the left side with your right hand.  
And now she thought of it... what was the pen doing on Rose's left hand? She had seen her write and she was clearly right handed.  
Every minute that passed Kelly was getting more sure that someone had placed Rose there on purpose. Someone made it look like a suicide.  
And this someone did a very sloppy job indeed. Either someone who didn't know Rose very well, either someone in a big hurry.

She glanced at the blood on the wall he had touched before. It was not dry. But the blood on Rose's wound was. After all the angle was wrong. How could it get there? All of it was wrong.  
All of it was blood was placed there. This was a then Kelly knew one thing.  
Someone had just murdered Rose.

Kelly felt faint, suddenly realising their only way out... was a dead end.


	7. Chapter 7

**So what do you think of the story so far guys? Let us know huh? Thank for the reviews!**

**LK  
**

* * *

Sabrina half opened her eyes. There was a parade of light colours screaming in front of her. She shut them tight.

She couldn't remember why she was there, or who she was in the first place. It was just a floating sensation, an absence of everything.

She wondered what was going on, but logic didn't accompany for long. She felt lost in some kind of hallucination.

A hallucination in which colours mattered more than sounds or forms, replacing smell and touch.

There was a small thumping in her ears but only that. She started walking among the colourful drops sinking like the inside of a colourful lava lamp.

From the steadiness of the thumping she realised that this was her heart beat.

The colours were falling from above, seething mid-air, changing form. Colour started changing, mostly to red. It looked like forming and unfolding bloodstains. She felt like she was inside the lava lamp once placed on her office. She used to look at it, until she could no longer see it, until colours mixed and her vision blurred. But that was so long ago. So painfully long ago.

Now she felt that she herself was turning into molten wax inside a huge lamp. She felt as if she was turning into liquid. The sound of her heart beat was steady. Another sound had emerged. A distant sound of water. Or, wait, no, it was the sound she used to hear while diving. The pressure of water against her ears. The colour, harsh red against snow white started to seeth and stir again until it billowed and drowned her.

She was now surrounded only by red colour, striking her nerves just as a bull's.

And then there was a shocking light and her surroundings changed. She was at the agency. She looked at the desk. Bosley's pocket watch was lying there. She picked it up but it turned into ashes. The lamp changed colours frantically on the desk, just as she remembered it. With a sharp sound the wire holding the painting on the wall severed and the painting, Munch's Scream, fell on the floor and turned into ashes.

''Sabrina?'' the voice echoed. ''What are you doing...doing...going?''

''Sabrina ...-ina...-ina...''

Sabrina turned around to face Kelly. She stretched her hand to touch her friends shoulder but it burned into ashes too, as the slender form became erased.

''NO!'' she could hear herself scream and she fell on her knees trying to get hold of the grey dust. She got to her feet, still with the sound of water.

The watch was intact on the desk. Again. She grabbed it and it immediately melted in her grasp, slipping through her fingers, like Dali's painting.

The lamp kept stirring in a wild rythm, but the watch was burning hot now. She let go and it fell on the floor and shattered like it had never even melted at all.

She took a step back, stumbling on the small coffee table, knocking over a cup of tea. She watched stunned as it gathered its pieces from the floor and returned to the table ...only to fall again.

The painting was hanging from the wall again.

The watch on the desk. It's hands reached twelve and instead of the bells Sabrina heard a piercing scream.

The Screaming Man was opening and closing his mouth. The voice, she knew the voice. It was Kris. No, No, No.

''STOP!'' she yelled and the sound paused.

The cup stopped mid-air, half formed and half gathering its pieces. The painting was endlessly falling and the watch was half turned into ashes.

She could see the broken pieces of the cup floating on the air, the tiny bits of ash too.

The only thing in the room moving was her. And that lamp.

The phone rang. Instinctively Sabrina looked at the black leather office chair waiting for Bosley to pick up.

She was facing the back of it.

A hand touched the phone and the speaker.

''Good morning Angel.''

''Huh?''

The voice repeated itself faster and faster with the static of an old recording.

''Good morning Angel.''

The hand touched the speaker again and the voice increased in volume. The man sitting on the chair swayed back and forth and turned to face her. He was wearing a Venice carnival mask with three faces, each representing one feeling.

Anger, terror, joy.

But the thing that made Sabrina flinch in terror was that the masks were changing expressions constantly. Now there was whispering. Intense whispering. She could only make out some of the words. Who was talking?

''Back... go... back... leave... alone... forget.''

''What?!'' she asked the man. ''What do you mean?''

''Look at her... look... look!''

It seemed as the faces were whispering to each other.

''Look at her... look... forgotten...'

She took a step back and was sucked into black oblivion.

Kelly almost stumbled out of Rose's office, but recovered enough to close the door behind her. But then, what the hell did it matter anyway, she thought to herself, in desperation. If Kelly herself hadn't of found Rose, someone else needed to. It didn't really matter, she realised. S he immediately left the situation behind, utterly bewildered and numb with shock, and headed up towards the Governors office.

Numbness. Greyness. It seemed the same. Silence. A stone cold surface. Numb skin on stone cold concrete... a floor...

Kris somehow found the strength to pull her eyelids up and allow any ... any kind of sense dammit.. to infiltrate her utterly exhausted mind. But... nothing. The silence continued. The greyness however, seemed to have altered somewhat, she perceived. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered what it would be like to wander through a long rail tunnel, where no trains ever ran... where only dankness and greyness would be your companion...

She blinked. The thought persisted. Tunnels. Then her lip curled in some semblance of a grimace. The light at the end of the tunnel... the light... a light...

Well Kris... don't expect any light any time soon...

Another thought fluttered through her sandblasted mind...

Jill...would she ever see her sister again...? Jills smiling laughing face hovered through her consciousness, a taunt, it seemed. Kris fled. No. That wasn't Jill. She wouldn't laugh at her.

Kris decided then that she would be better off digging herself back into reality than allowing bubbles of senselessness to overpower her. She groaned and tried to roll onto her back, the damp stone floor and cold atmosphere helping to feed her senses with an armoury of the required information.

If that phrase ... "The Walls are closing in" flitted through Kelly's mind once more, as she hurried up to Helens office, she would definitely smack something. Or someone, if they happened to pass her on her way.

Without even realising it, she was suddenly back outside the big ornate doors. Only...they didn't seem so beautifully ornate any more. To Kelly, now, they appeared to be a grotesque parody of grandeur.

She knocked rapidly, impatiently, finding her trepidation on this side of the doors taking second place to her fear and agonising consternation of everything that was going on around her.

From neglected, lifeless, dreary, low lit cold corridors, into a warm heaven of pretend peace and tranquillity, Kelly stepped across the thresh hold, and closed the door behind her, a fight welling up... one that just refused to go away. "Governor...I need to talk to you!" Kelly barked, as soon as the door clanged shut. She approached the desk that she had previously found so intriguing but now saw as a pathetic excuse of an attempt at hierarchy.

The chair was turned to the wall, so that she could not see Helen, but she knew she occupied the chair, and up until now, had paid Kelly's entrance little heed.

"Governor?" Kelly strode with purpose up to the desk. "Governor!" She rapped her hand on the desk, not caring at all now about protocol. The last thing Kelly now cared about was Helens damn hypocracy.

The chair squealed a little in resistance as it's occupier swivelled and returned the chair to face the opposite direction.

And quite suddenly, all the fight drained out of Kelly. The figure in the chair that now returned her face to her... was... somehow...Kelly struggled to find the right word

Lost? Was Helen... losing it? Kelly's demeanour changed down several gears and she once again, found herself pitying the person that now confronted her.

The woman behind the desk now rose.

The woman that Kelly had been under the impression that had complete and utter rule over everything going on in here...now seemed totally unsure of herself.

Helen turned to face the person that had completely disrupted her agitated thought process. The thoughts were now thrown and blown away like detritus on a breeze. She faced Kelly and stood up, trying to regain some of the posture that usually help her employees captive. But even as she rose, Helen realised that this one before her knew something. Knew something that she herself was not yet ready to admit.

"What do you want?!" Helen shouted out in her own anxiety ridden moment. "Did I bid you to enter?!"

Kelly heard and felt an edge to the womans voice that she had not yet heard since her arrival. Something was definitely off with her. Was it something to do with Rose, she wondered. If it was, what the hell was she doing hiding up here? Wasn't Rose her right hand ... woman? This thought reverberated through Kelly's mind now like a snarling beast let loose from a cage.

Kelly acquiesced then, and lowered her gaze, suddenly realising what slippery ground she was on.

"Oh I am sorry Governor...I just...needed to speak to you about the... prisoners who are unable to work at present..."

Helen, still standing and clinging on to her desk for support, Kelly noticed, blinked rapidly, as though to clear her mind a little. Kelly pressed on.

"Governor... I hear reports of things that are going amiss among your staff..." Kelly tested the waters. Helen blinked once more, as if still unsure of where she was or what was going on.

Then even as Kelly began her next sentence, a familiar light crept back into her governors eyes.

"Kelly...what are you trying to tell me?!"

The question came out from Helen as if everything...was quite normal again. As if... Kelly had not even just witnessed her governors sudden absence of ...self. Kelly was at once ... feeling cornered...but yet... also free to roam. She took the latter option.

"Governor... I hope you don't mind me bringing this information to you but..." Kelly stood erect and looked her boss straight in the eye. "As I have been doing my...rounds... it has come to my attention that many prisoners whom have been deemed ..." at this Kelly coughed slightly, " ..unfit for duty...have just been left in their cells to..."

"Rot?" Her boss finished Kelly's sentence for her.

"Well - yes." Kelly agreed. "And...permit me to mention Governor...that this is a complete waste of...resource...?"

And suddenly Helens eyes widened with some recognition.

Kelly pressed on again.

"Look, I know it really is none of my business here...but...I see that we have prisoners who are lying around...unproductive..." Kelly tried to emphasize this last word.

And it appeared to attract the Governors attention.

"Really...? Kelly... please explain!" Helen, despite her anguish and all encompassing emotions surrounding her current predicament, found her interest piqued.

Kelly saw the shift in her bosses emotions and continued to drive her point home.

"Governor...the prisoners who have ... received... some kind of injuries...are lying doing nothing! They are an unproductive part of our workforce!" Kelly warmed to her subject. "If we rehabilitate them through the infirmary... then our output would increase exponentially!"

Helens eye's narrowed in thought.

"So why Kelly...are part of my work force being held back... can you tell me this?"

Kelly watched as her boss stood further erect, still using the desk as a means of support, but leaning over and eying Kelly with some disdain as she did so.

"I gave you ... responsibilities...did I not?!"

"Of course Governor!" Kelly at once agreed. She returned her gaze to the desk. Somewhere neutral.

"So ... would you prefer me to ... rehabilitate the .. latent prisoners, Governor?"

"Oh course Kelly! Make use of every single resource we have!" Helen seemed suddenly to come alive then, almost with hope and with her own intrinsic value for life.

"Do whatever you need to do Kelly!" A light now danced in Helens eyes, making Kelly shiver from head to foot. She watched as her boss then sunk back into her chair, seemingly exhausted.

"Governor?" Kelly dared to question once more.

"Yes Kelly?" The favourable tone in her governors voice gave one last hope for Kelly.

"What about Scar...she is also... a ... resource..."

There was a silence then. A silence borne of ... something not quite agreeable to the situation. Kelly knew without a shadow of a doubt, that Sabrina had caused more than her fair share of trouble...hell...

...more than ever... her fair share of antagonism to the ones in charge. She knew this instinctively.

"Governor...please..." Kelly re-iterated. "We need every resource..."

Kelly waited. Helen looked beyond Kelly. To the far fall. In some kind of retrospect. Then finally, Kelly found the nod she was hoping for.

"Get every ailing prisoner...including ...Scar... into the infirmary...!" The Governor pressed. She didn't quite understand why, just now. She just felt...some how ... it would prove ...fruitful.

"Get every ailing prisoner...excluding...Scar... into the infirmary...!" The Governor replied.

Kelly's heart plummeted.

But she didn't need to question this...just now.

"You may take this ...exceptional prisoner some medical items and administer whatever medical attention you see fit."

Helen then gave Kelly a cold look. One of pure hostility.

"But you will leave her isolated in her cell at all times. And... if she does become fit again..." Helen paused, her attention slightly distracted for a moment as her thoughts wandered momentarily.

Kelly cleared her throat.

Helens attention snapped back into the room.

"I DON'T even want her to ever see the light of day!" Helen suddenly shouted vehemently, leaning forwards on the desk.

Kelly straightened her shoulders, feeling the unbridled animosity for Sabrina seething forth from this vile woman. Even now, Kelly's pity was rapidly evaporating. There was something very wrong going on in this womans head and all Kelly wanted to do now was get the hell out of this place, taking everyone she held dear, with her.

"Yes Governor!" Kelly replied, keeping her face as neutral as possible.

"Well what are you waiting for?! Dismissed!" With that, Helen returned to her seat, a look of misery now transforming her features, so that she once again, looked to Kelly like a tired, beaten, frail thing that had nothing much left to give. But Kelly's pity wasn't going to be wasted here another moment. She turned and hurried from the office, and headed for the infirmary first of all, to see what supplies she could lay her hands on.

Then after helping herself to basic first aid supplies, morphine, a few antibiotics and even a small stash of valium she came upon by chance as she rooted, Kelly then hurried immediately back down towards Sabrina's cell. She hoped and prayed that Sabrina hadn't already succumbed to the damp conditions with such appalling injuries...and was now possibly contending with pneumonia. She didn't think Sabrina would last more than twenty four hours in that condition.

As she got to the bottom of the stairs leading back down to the cells, she only narrowly missed bumping directly into Jason, coming up towards her.

"Hey... Kelly... " He began, holding his arms out in a small gesture of defensiveness. "...look I am so sorry .. I..." He stuttered, unable to find the words to apologise.

Kelly eyed him suspiciously.

"Sorry Jason, I don't have time for this..." Kelly was about to leave him standing, when a thought occurred to her.

Jason saw the bag she was carrying, saw that it was one of the medic bags from the infirmary.

"You're going to ... see to...?" He tried to sound concerned. Kelly flashed him a warning glance.

"If you want to help... you can find the cell where Kris Munro is, and check on her. If she needs medical attention, get her to the infirmary..."

"What?!" Jason immediately stepped back in complete surprise.

"I can't do that..." he began, placing his hands on his hips.

"Yes you can...and you will...Governors orders now!" Kelly snapped back.

"And then you can get everyone else in this stinking hole who requires medical help...up to the infirmary! Okay?!"

Jasons jaw dropped. He really did not believe what Kelly was now telling him.

Kelly saw the uncertainly in his face.

"Jason! Do it - now! Governors orders!"

"Are you...?"

"For Gods sake Jason...do you want to go back up there and ask her yourself?!" Kelly was now almost at breaking point.

"N-No!" He stammered. "Alright! I'm going!" He turned with her, as she now hurried on, walking briskly to keep stride with Kelly 's quickening pace.

"Uh...who did you say you wanted me to find?"

Kelly answered without slowing.

"Kris...Kris Munro. Small blond girl. Cute. Big smile." Kelly's heart lurched at the distinct possibility that she might never see Kris smile again... no Kelly stop! She kicked herself mentally. Kris was alive. Here, somewhere...and alive. She hurried onwards towards Bri's cell, a million anxieties spreading themselves flatly through her mind, threatening to smother all her hope of getting all her angels out alive.

Her anxiety arched as she slid the key to the lock and removed the bars. She saw Tiffany gasp at the sudden noise. She felt a bitter taste in her mouth seeing Tiffany like this. She went close to Sabrina's battered form on the wall and *avoided to see the state she was in.*

"Its me" she said to both and fished a set of keys from her pocket. She unlocked the chains that bound Sabrina on the wall and she fell heavy on her shoulder.

She lowered Sabrina gently on the floor and glanced at Tiff. God she was shivering so much! Her shirt was covered in blood and soaking

wet.

Kelly took off her guards shirt and wrapped it around Tifany.

"Its okay." she said softly and took the small torch she had in her bag.

She flashed the dim light across Sabrina's body. This is bad ... she thought, seing the odd angle of her wrist. Yet without being entirely sure of what to do, she dipped a gauze pad into alcohol and dabbed gently at her lips and then her face. Kelly took no sign of any pain and kept going. At this point she realised she had to check for internal injuries and bleeding. She looked briefly at Tiff and rolled Sabrina's shirt up. Only a small percent of the skin still sported its healthy colour. At the right side of the stomach she could see a heavy dark patch different that the other bruising. She decided to check on it later. Kelly then ever so gently rolled the inert body on the other side. A nasty line of messy deep scrapes covered her friends back.

She tended to each one carefully, tenderly, and cleaned them with alcohol, and this time a few faint moans escaped Sabrina.

As Kelly tended to Sabrina's wounds, it seemed to Tiffany that there was no one else in the room. This was of course, only natural. But Tiffany crept closer. She was infinitely aware of the unbreakable bond between Sabrina and her very close knit colleagues. Yet... she desperately needed Kelly to know right now... how much she herself was also here...right now... for both of them.

Kelly continued to dab away with the alcohol at Sabrina's immediate open wounds, infinitely mindful of the other injuries she had likely sustained.

"Oh Sabrina...!" Kelly uttered in grief, without even thinking.

"Kelly..." Tiffany's soft, gentle voice slightly drew her attention. Oh my God. Tiffany. She had ... almost forgot. Kelly turned, in the semi gloom.

"Shhhh Kelly, it's okay...huh?" Tiffany edged herotself next to Kelly...and next to the poor, humiliatingly abused and left for dead mess that was no other identity known to her now, than Sabrina Duncan.

"No, dammit, it's not ..Ok, Tiff!" Kelly bit back, as she tended to the awful wounds before her.

Tiffany of course knew this, but what she wanted to say had just come out wrong. She cursed herself silently.

"I-I'm sorry Kelly...I meant... you don't have to feel... you don't have to ... I mean... I'm here too okay?" She squeezed Kelly's arm in a way in which she hoped Kelly hoped she would understand.

Kelly continued to dab at the welts that viciously sliced the delicate skin on Sabrina's back, mindful of every pain this must be causing. But she was finding it ever so difficult to concentrate on Tiff's words right now.

Tiffany allowed Kelly this time to vent and give some little voice to the anguish she must be feeling. Even though Tiffany had grown used to a very closed up Kelly Garrett, over the time she had spent with the Agency this last year.

Tiffany watched with utter sadness and depth of feeling as Kelly did whatever she could to ease her good friends suffering. And as she watched, she heard small sounds escaping Sabrina's lips. Sounds which, she was sure, was tearing Kelly apart right now.

"Kelly..." Tiffany reached out for her friend to comfort her, to offer support, but Kelly now appeared to have closed down...Tiffany realised that...once again...there was only Kelly and Sabrina in the cell. Tiffany drew in a breath. It was going to be such a long journey back, for the both of them, she knew. So...Tiffany was patient. She remained right beside Kelly, watchful and waiting... ever ready for ... whatever came next.

And in the deep dank gloom of the cell, Kelly finally heard something she had been half longing...half expecting to hear...yet almost fearing to hear...

A whimper...

Kelly stopped.

Tiffany froze.

"Sabrina...?" Kelly asked, so very very softly in the gloom.

She didn't dare move. Her hand...with another piece of cotton wool in it ... laden with alcohol... halfway to Sabrina's back, suddenly stopped in it's path...

Kelly then lowered her hand to the floor.

"Please... Sabrina...can you hear me...?!" Kelly spoke softly into the darkness, trying so hard with her voice to let Bri know that ...she...Kelly...was there...right by her side. And was now...never going to leave ...

It wasn't just the pain...overwhelming though this was... she realised...it wasn't even the the thought that God himself was taunting her, she decided, in her completely unravelled mind... it wasn't even the cold.. the damp... the excruciating pain, the ever present danger of harm to pronounce itself unbidden any time... no...none of this was the problem right now...

the thing that broke her heart over and over and over and over again in the space of a heartbeat was the self surpassing thought that...

her mind was conjuring up the presence of... something... someone... a real life memory of... someone who...ever gave a damn about her..

...Yet...in her heart right now, Sabrina knew...oh..she knew..this was all just a dream. A ... Godforsaken nightmare even. Her hopes had been killed off too many times, she knew. Her ... inner core... her... inner being... had long since been destroyed. All that was now left...was a husk. A shell. And ... as she listened to the soft gentle lulling voice now calling her name, she once again decided to blank it out. It was a lie. A disgusting, appalling lie. She heard herself whimper out loud. But she didn't care now. It was all over. She was giving up. End of the road..

Kelly looked up at Tiffany, suddenly aware that ... something had just... changed.

"Kelly...?" Tiffany urged, trying to peer at Sabrina in the semi-darkness.

Kelly quickly checked Sabrina's pulse...

"Oh my god...!" Kelly moaned. She redoubled her efforts to find the precious beat of her friends heart. ''Sabrina! SABRINA!''


	8. Chapter 8

**_Hmm... not many of you reviewed on the last chapter... basically none. I was wondering if this has to do with the story... I hope this time one or two take the time... because there is more to come... more truth hah! So, go on read, and review please. _**  
**_LK_**

* * *

Jason moved quickly along the corridors where he knew there were girls that fitted Kris's description. And there were a few. But he was very willing to oblige Kelly and look for the girl... if it meant some how getting back on her good side. Jason felt confused as he searched individual cells and checked the name tags at the doors.

Why couldn't Kelly see that he had eased a terrible burden from her? The woman was going to get a beating whether it was Kelly or not, he knew. And he also knew how to inflict damage that would in time, heal without too much trouble. But it seemed that this woman was someone whom Kelly was desperate to protect. So he guessed her reaction was understandable. But why couldn't she see that he also was willing to protect Kelly? He came to another cell and checked the name. Kris Munro. Okay.. Let's see what's in box number three...He removed his gun and his baton, ready for trouble, then unlocked the door. He swung the door and shone his torch in, the wide strong beam immediately picking out Kris's huddled form on the floor. He stepped inside the cell, warily. She might be a friend of Kelly's, but he sure was no friend of hers... up to press anyway.

"Uh... Miss Munro?" He called out, somewhat hesitantly. "Uh... Kris? Kris Munro?"

jason suddenly felt awkward. He was used to addressing prisoners by their salutation, much less by their names. Most insiders had nicknames. He felt decidedly embarrassed and a little sheepish that the girl here was no dregs of society. If she was a friend of Kelly's, then she was likely someone with some ... class.

"Who wants to know?" A murmured response came back. He walked further in, his torch beam showing up a blond lady, haggard, drawn features. Not surprising in here obviously. His conscience pricking him like needles now, he stepped up to her and hunkered down before her. The girl shied away a little...again, not surprising Jason thought, sadly.

"Hey... uh... Kris?" He called out softly. He played the torch beam over her body, looking for signs of injury. "Uh, your friend Kelly sent me. I'm going to take you to her, okay?"

Kris gaped. What did he just say? Was she hearing things? Her head came up and she squinted in the torchlight.

"Uh... could you... dim the lights a little?" She croaked. Her throat was so dry. She had never felt so thirsty in all her life.

"Sorry." Jason moved the torch away and Kris's eyes re-adjusted to the gloom they were accustomed to.

"Thanks. Uh... who are you talking about?" Kris wasn't ready to give anything up just yet. "Who wants to see me?" She injected a tone of disinterest into her voice.

Jason furrowed his brow.

"Well, your friend, Kelly um... Garrett? She sent me to come look for you..." Jason felt confused again. Hadn't he got the right girl?

Kris eyed this guard suspiciously now. Why would Kelly send one of the guards down for her... and why did he seem too know herself and Kelly were connected? A trap?

"Look mister.. I don't know what you're talking about! I don't know any Kelly Garrett!" Kris used some vehemence in her reply, trying to convince the guard.

"Now why don't you just leave me alone and go do what is is you guard fellers do huh... go beat someone up or something! I got nothing to say to you!"

"Look... I don't know what it is with you and Officer Garrett... but you're coming with me alright?" Jason was getting a little impatient now. What was going on with these people? Don't they appreciate help when they get it?

"Want to stand up and I'll unlock your cuffs?" He said, and stood up himself.

"But just in case you get any funny ideas..." He kept his weapon showing, to let Kris know he was no soft touch. He was still wary. It was his job. But his "job" seemed to have an odd twist to it at present.

Kris stood, unsteadily. Things were still hurting. She tried not to wince, tried not to display the frailty she felt. The guard unlocked the cuffs from the wall, but Kris was surprised to find he was actually being gentle with her. Still, she kept her cool.

"So, where are we going? For a nice little walk in the woods?" Kris used sarcasm to defray the nerves she felt. The guard sighed.

"I told you... I'm taking you to see Officer Garrett. Now just move huh? I aint got all day!" Jason led her from the cell and away from the rest of the prisoners he now was beginning to feel extremely uncomfortable about.

Sabrina was once again lost in the darkness. She could hear voices, but not see anybody. She could feel pain, but surprisingly did not remember why, or how. Slowly and painfully the memories returned. So did the pain, but it was so intense and so many places she herself did not know where she was hurt, or how much. She tried to listen harder but she heard no sound. Neither her breathing, nor her own heartbeat. But she could hear another heartbeat. Somewhere close to her but not quite. She paused her racing mind and focused on it.

The sound faded out slowly and she was alone again. A voice tore her dark world apart. One single voice that uttered her name. But she could not recognise her. And then it was gone like a smooth breeze. Then it hit her and she almost laughed out in sarcasm. She was sure that this was the voice of the person who accompanied her in the academy. The voice of the person who stayed with her so many nights till dawn. The person whom she trusted.

Kelly.

Yeah, right, she thought, mad to herself. On your last minute you think of Kelly. Right. You think of Kelly who just left you there to die. God she could have done something. Sabrina waited, and waited, days and nights. What difference did night make from day in there anyway? None. She waited with the small hope that Kelly, her detective friend, and Kris, her detective friend would come for her. How the hell did they forget her so easily? Was she just reported missing and got forgotten? How do you forget someone like this? She half chuckled and her mind turned back to the days in the Agency. She held it back stubbornly.

No, not again. You cant live in your sweet little lie. Nobody's coming, nobody. You are just there and nobody's upper lip trembled a little and she held back tears, as she did from the minute she had set foot in this damned place. She was alone. And she kept fighting. But now it was over. Take your losses and go. You cant fight any more, she told herself. You gave it all. Your pride, your family, you gave it all up in this place. Your life's next, probably. Why cling to painful memories now? Stop it, stop it, stop it. But then... then something else surfaced. She might have lost her pride, her honour, her family but there was still that tiny spark of hope. Of expectation. Trust.

She kept trusting. And even if she knew Kelly was not there, even though she knew she would wake alone again, she gave it a try. Because if she didn't she would have spent the rest of her time thinking she did wrong. Believing she lost her only chance.

She took in a breath. And let it out carefully. She felt soft hair touch her face, as if someone being close to her. Tiffy girl. She thought and laughing with her mess. Well, if you wake Sabrina, nobody will be there. Yeah, okay, shut it now. She let out her breath. She heard her name being uttered again and tried to respond but it was impossible. All that came out was a weird voice from deep in her throat.

She half laughed and closed her fingers around the warm material covering her. It felt good, she had to admit. She half cracked her eyes open, but it made no diference, this darkness with the one in her head. She allowed her eyes to close once more.

''She's awake?'' came a voice. Yup. Tiffy girl for sure.

''Kind of.'' came another one that made Sabrina almost jump out of her skin. Her eyes flew open and she tried to move. Hands held her back again.

''Take it easy Bri...''

''K-...''

Was the only sound that escaped her lips before the pain in her ribcage became unbearable.

She stopped and waited. It was a dream, couldn't be-

''It's alright Bri, it's alright, you're gonna be okay, hear me? It's me Tiffany.''

A smile made her facial muscles hurt but was worth it. She laid her head back and allowed herself to relax completely this time, diving into a blissful sleep.

Helen sunk deeper into her expensive leather armchair. Suddenly she felt strange. She sighed.

''Rose?!'' she called. But there was no response. Then she paused and sunk even deeper. Of course. How could Rose be there? She lowered her head and touched the cold surface of her writing desk. Silently tears rose to her eyes and her shoulders started shaking. Why did this have to happen? Quickly she found herself back in the here and now and rose from her seat. She made her way to the bathroom and splashed some water over her face. She was feeling better already. She wiped her eyes and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Much to her horror she glanced over a face staring at her. She blinked and it was gone. Terror run its icy fingers up her spine. Was she going crazy? She shook her head and looked in the sink. Her mind brought back the sight of the crimson blood in the sink and she stopped dead as nauseousness began to overtak her. She breathed deeply and exhaled, making her way back to her office.

Then a childish voice reached her ears. A smile cracked her face. That's right. She still had her. The only person who did not judge her... the only person who was not afraid of her, not even a bit. Because, deep inside she knew that even Rose had that hint of fear in her voice... sometimes.

And it was that hint that broke her heart, but at the same time that made her go on. Helen sighed once more. She had made a drastically rash move. She knew that. But nothing could take it back and she had to learn to move forward. And now it was the time to do it on her own. Well, not exactly alone. She still had Emily, she thought. And this was a comfort.

Who would think that after all this time trying to get people close to her, that something like that would happen so suddenly.

Someone who needed her as she did need someone. She smiled. It was a gift she had been longing for ... longer than ... it seemed ...for ages. But again the need of Rose surfaced. Now she had to complete the research on her own. And it would not be easy. She sighed and pressed a button on her office desk and a guard knocked the at door immediately.

''Did you ask for me?'' she said in a low voice.

''What do you think?''

''Yes Governor... What are your orders?''

She looked at some of her papers and then the small label on the guards chest.

''Kelly right?''

''Yes Governor.'' said Kelly and tried to keep her heart from jumping out of her chest. She had to run upstairs like crazy to get there in time.

''How is your idea going?''

''Smoothly. Thank you for allowing me to carry on.''

''Very well Kelly. I want you to go down again and bring Miss... Welles is it?''

''I don't know...''

''Well, I want you to bring Miss Welles into the second laboratory. I believe she is...'' she paused ''this womans cellmate'' she spat the words almost in disgust.

''Yes Governor.'' she said steadily.

''But not now. I want her first to get a good night's sleep and be at best health. Can you arrange that?''

''Understood.''

''I want her there by dawn tomorrow.''

''Understood.''

''Go now.''

Kelly turned on her heel and closed the door slowly behind her. Dammit dammit dammit...

What was she supposed to do now? How would she tell Tiffany? That would be one hard thing to do for sure! She bit into her lip and clenched her fists. She started running into the unwelcome underground once again.

Kris wasn't even aware of how... let alone where..she was being taken...

All she knew that was, at present... a guard appeared to have taken a somewhat lenient view of her. She wasn't even sure of his professed connections with Kelly. She had to keep so very quiet. Give nothing away. Then nothing is gained. She continued to allow herself to be pulled along through a maze of darkness and half light. She wasn't really sure of the distinction. She didn't really care right now.

Kris kept her half-open gaze to the floor. Her guard seemed very intent on them arriving somewhere. Yet Kris, in her completely exhausted state... cared nothing for her captors seemingly benign treatment... or for wherever the destination might be. All Kris cared about right now was... the right to ... basic human rights at least... to which she herself and countless othe prisoners had been denied. But then... as she felt her legs give way for yet one more time... perhaps ... she didn't even care for this much any more.

proof read after here

Sabrina had many occasions in which she thought she was awake but ended in a foggy dream. She now surfaced from another vision of herself. She reached for her temples but this simple move made the whole area of her broken wrist hurt more than she at this state could take. She let herself slip down to the floor again. The fabric made a tiny whisper and Tiffany was suddenly aware that her cell mate had returned back to the world.

She pulled herself up, not very easily and made her way to ''Scar''. She placed herself carefully next to her,fearful of making any contact with her.

Sabrina cracked her eyes open, realising that this time it was not a dream, she was landing on harsh reality. Tiffany put her hand on hers and wrapped the blanket tighter around her.

Sabrina's lips parted slightly in the extreme effort to talk. Tiffany nodded.

''Don't talk. It's gonna be alright.''

The blond girl sighed and laid her head back the wall. A hollow feeling started to emerge in her stomach. At first she thought she was getting sick but then she tried to recall the last time she ate anything. God...It probably was the last night before she left California. Yep. Not good news.

The same thought must have passed from Sabrina's mind because Tiffany heard the unmistakable sound of a chuckle.

''You... hungry?'' she whispered faintly.

Tiffany's mouth twitched stubbornly.

"No, I'm fine...!"

As a response her stomach rumbled and a small explosion of chuckles escaped the motionless form. Tiffany was thankful that in the dark Sabrina was not able to see the two red patches forming on her cheeks.

''Do you think they might have any chilly dogs in here?'' she asked trying to lighten up the mood.

''Well...'' she sighed. ''You gotta remind... me... what these... look like.''

Sensing that her attempt wasn't going that well Tiffany tried to guide the conversation to safer waters.

''Aren't you tired? You hurt anywhere? I think you better get back to sleep.''

Sabrina shook her head. She wanted to try and stay awake. ''Am... okay...'' she grunted and bit her lips.

''Look...'' started Tiffany. ''Kelly left some pills here... how do you feel? Can you take one?''

''Uh huh...''

Kelly raced, for one more time, she thought bitterly to herself into the damp corridor. She slipped and landed on her back, allowing a long line of swearing whispers. She got to her feet and wondered to herself why the hell these corridors had to be so slippery and wet all the time. Frustrated she broke into a run and looking carefully on the floor to avoid slipping again, hopping over the water that pooled into some areas. By doing so, she didn't see where exactly she was going and collided with something solid. She blocked the fall with her hands and avoided breaking something.

She got up frustrated more than ever and smoothed her clothes, trying to get a good look to what she had crashed into. A flash of torchlight blinded her and a familiar voice.

''Kelly?''

''Darnit Jason...take the light off-'' she started saying but then her gaze stopped on the woman that seemed almost impossible to recognise. The one being kept up only by Jason's firm grim and only that.

For a minute only their stare met and a pair of clean blue eyes flashed in the dark. Kelly thought of Jason. As much as she wanted to hug Kris and tell her it was going to be ok, she wouldn't dare to do it now, not in front of him. He knew too much already.

She returned the stare and then looked firmly at Jason. ''Is that her?'' he asked, half lifting her.

''Yes. Good work. Take her up the infirmary at once."

Kelly suppressed a cry of anger as Kris was once again almost dragged onwards along corridor. As she passed her by she dared a touch. Just a small one than no one could notice. She wrapped her hand around Kris' clinched fist. She could not do more than that right now. She felt her friends hand respond in the dark and her heart was a bit lighter. She kept walking and swallowed hard as her mind returned to what she had to do. First she had to talk to Tiffany. Then try to manage a small talk with Sabrina. And then, oh yeah, then organise an escape plan over night... or else Tiffany should start thinking of her potentials as a guinea pig. For once Charlie should get into a jail, she thought. It's not fair. It's been three times already. She approached the cell and the tiny whispers she could hear before vanished, as the sound of her footsteps echoed close. She fished the keys hanging from her waist and bend over to unlock. She slid off the bars. ''It's me.'' she said before she entered, fearing of an attempt.

As her eyes slowly grew accustomed to the darkness she could make out Sabrina's form curled in the corner and Tiffany's standing still.

Kelly walked up to Tiffany and gave her a quick hug.

''You okay Tiff?'' she said, searching for her eyes.

''Yeah. I am... I am okay...''

From Kelly's silence she understood something was not quite okay.

''What is it Kelly? What is wrong?"

Kelly looked at her shoes. How does one say these things? Hey Tiff, you're gonna be experimented on, don't worry though, not many extra antennas.

From the silence that extended a little too long Tiffany realised something was out of the ordinary with her friend. Fearing for the worst she took a look at Sabrina who seemed to have drifted into an exhausted sleep and paced closer to Kelly.

''What's wrong Kell? You're not yourself.'' she said in a low voice.

''Who is in here Tiff? I am okay... I just...''

''You just what?'' Tiffany looked around nervously once more. ''What is wrong?''

''Tiffany... we need to leave this place. Now.''

''Um... I thought thats what you where supposed to tell our contact. What happened?''

''She... our contact... Rose is dead. Someone killed her Tiffany...'' uttered Kelly the shock returning.

''Oh my God... can't you get out of here? Or find a phone? Kelly we need to take S-Sabrina to a hospital!''

''I got orders to carry on... Tiffany... I am not allowed out before the end of the day.''

"Well then wait for the day and then go get Charlie!'' urged Tiffany.

Kelly glanced at Sabrina's side in order to avoid eye contact with the tall blond. She saw the unmistakable glister of her brown eyes in the dark and was sure she was listening carefully to her also.

''We need to hurry Tiffany... because... because Helen... governor wants you to go in... a lab... but I am not sure what she means... and I do not want to put you in any kind of danger!'' she said in a firm voice.

Before she could understand Sabrina was on her feet and had joined the conversation. ''You are talking about The Lab. Don't you?''

Tiffany glanced at her face in the darkness and saw an odd expression. At the same time she felt her own expression shift to terror. What were they talking about? And why couldn't she understand any of all this?

''Sca- Sabrina, what is this lab?''

Sabrina stopped the effort to stand and lowered herself on the floor. The other women did the same. She stared at the floor for a while.

''It's... dark place.''

''It's... dark... and... has many people with lab coats..."

''Like an infirmary?'' asked Kelly with hope.

''Well you... you can say that but... they dont cure things... basically... they cause ...things..."

Her speech had slowed to a whisper that made Tiffany shiver, trying to imagine how many times this woman had been in there.

''What do you mean... cause?'' asked Kelly raising her eyebrows.

''I mean... they give you... stuff... and wait for a reaction.''

''Like... a lab rat?!''

''Was looking for the word.''

Tiffany rubbed her forehead. Oh God, perfect. ''Kelly have you seen Kris?''

''No...I hoped you had...''

Sabrina's head jerked up. ''What do you mean?! Kris is in here TOO?!''

''Well we were a team Bri... until you decided to leave.'' Kelly said, feeling tired.

Sabrina's voice became harsh.

''Decided?! You think I decided?!''

''Sabrina I saw your signature! You left for '' a new life'' !'' Kelly protested and slowed down, realising that an argument was the last thing needed right now.

''What the hell are you talking about Kelly...?''

''Uh?''

"I didnt sign... anything... never.''

''But... its been a year Bri... where were you?''

''HERE DAMMIT!''

Kelly's eyes widened. Can't be... can't be...It was incomprehensible for her brain that Sabrina... their Sabrina... had been here... all the time... all year...

''I was here, waiting for my... two detective co workers to come and get me home!''

''We... are here...'' was the only thing Kelly could say now.

''Too late Kelly! One year too late!''

Kelly opened her mouth to say something but there was nothing to tell her now.

''One year too late Kelly. So dont tell me about leaving okay?''

''I better go.'' she said, feeling the urge to smash something. She had to get out of there, out ,out out...

She was suffocating.

Sabrina closed her eyes. ''Please... try to find Kris. Okay?''

''Okay..."

she choked and slammed the bars to their place.

Tiffany lowered her head in defeat. There was nothing to be said now. Or was there? She recalled Kelly telling her Sabrina was married... but if all of it was a lie, a mistake... then what?

''Sabrina?''

''Yeh?''

''What about...your family?''

A long silence followed. Tiffany wasnt sure she could clearly make out her expression now.

''So?'' she asked again. ''Why... didn't they... look for you? Contact us?''

''Because they are dead Tiffy girl.''

Tiffany stopped. And the only sound now was their heartbeats echoing in this hell trap. And a small sob. Kelly, who now left, running, knowing yet another harsh truth.


	9. Chapter 9

Kelly was staring at the empty yard. It was too late. The night was falling and the cold was crawling up her spine. She didnt bother to cover herself better. She didn't even notice the cold. She was standing there for a while now. Thinking, remembering, yes even crying, still alone. She needed this time with herself. All this was too much for her.

The urge was burning deep in her gut. She had to find a way to get to a phone. She glanced at her watch. The dawn deadline was closing in. She needed to take action. Now.

she turned around. The only place she had seen a phone so far was the Governor's office. Helen. She could only hope that either she wasnt there or she would allow her to leave for the night... to go to... an aunt in the area?

In the area? Are you kidding me Kelly? An aunt? It could only be a wolf or a bear. There are no people around here.

She sighed.

She raced up the imposing building and up the stairs. Standing in front of the big ornate doors now she was feeling small again. But as the situation was, she had no time to think about the carvings or anything else. She knocked.

No response.

She knocked again and the door slid open an inch. She pushed it carefully and it opened without the smallest sound. She poked her head in and looked around. The office was empty. Her eyes immediately found their target. The phone, a heavy black, old-fashioned device was resting on the big antique desk.

She paced in, almost fearing someone could see her through the walls, and sat carefully on Helen's chair. She picked up the device and started dialling the number of Charlie's office.

A small sound stopped her. Something soft brushed on her knees, under the desk, making her flinch in horror. She pushed the chair back and stared at the dark space down the desk.

A pair of glistening eyes. Brown eyes. She knew she had seen them before and a smile carved on her face when she realised who it was, but that smile turned into another expression when she again realised something else.

The little girls face peered up at Kelly, hopefully, trustingly. With all the endearment of a tiny girl looking up to a mother within whom she sought...sought...what? Kelly was instantly startled by the brown eyes that gave away so much feeling.

"Hi there!" Kelly's mothering instinct immediately kicked in. She bent low and held her arm out, smiling. But then the little girl withdrew ... shrinking into the shadows of her den. Kelly decided to go one step further. She sat down and crossed her legs, displaying a total non-aggressive approach.

"Hi! my name's Kelly!"

Kelly watched the little girl hang back amid her shadowy place, and waited patiently, yet kept a benign smile in place.

"Hey there..." Kelly uttered softly, to the small child who was trying to hide herself away in secret before her.

"It's alright...I am not going to hurt you..." She uttered softly. "Please... I ... would like to ...help you?"

Kelly extended her hand as she said this, but the child shrunk further away, obviously afraid of the newcomer to her mothers place.

Kelly withdrew her hand then, desperate not to upset the child. She shuffled herself back a few places, to give the girl a little space.

"It's okay...I am not going to hurt you...see?" Kelly held her hands up. And just as she did, the little girl shuffled herself forwards a little, her curiosity seemingly getting the better of her. And in the small light that played upon the infants face, Kelly now knew for sure who it was she was seeing. My god, the child was...

...My God, Kelly thought again with absolute clarity. My God, this child is...

"MAMA!" The girl suddenly cried out, in fear. Then she was gone. Kelly blinked and looked further. But there was empty space where the child had been. Kelly cursed. Then brought herself out of the desk and stood up, brushing herself off. Where the hell had the kid disappeared to? She wanted to go and find exactly where ...but then she stopped herself. Dammit Kelly... she needs to know! Oh my God! She needs to know!

Kelly rushed to the door and, as she pulled it open, she cast a quick sweeping glance back inside, checking that the girl wasn't following her. No of course she wasn't, Kelly! Stupid! The girl was scared to death. Kelly then ran ... and ran... her thoughts piling up in her head like so many drifts of autumn leaves...that she just could not blow free. No, these leaves frittered around her mind like starlings gathering in the summer dusk... squealing and twittering for attention in the tree. Only Kelly was fast losing her span of attention.

She finally reached Sabrina's cell, panting, panicked, and sweating. God she needed to calm down, but her thoughts swirled like so much icy snow ...

Sabrina was right! They had left her! God...left her and...oh my god! Her family! Her child... had...had been...here...all along?! Oh Jesus! Kelly allowed her sweaty forehead to rest on the wall outside of her friends cell. The words ...the very words then echoed loudly in her cascading mind. Her... friends...cell?! Oh God Kelly! What the hell?! She pulled herself up erect then...took a deep breath. This was it. The end of it. It was all going to stop right here. right now. Tears, formed from the panic, from the pain of knowledge, from the pain of everything, were now finding their way unbidden, down her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped them away, then unlocked the door to her precious friend.

The door swung on it's hinges. Kelly heard the slight creak. And took in again, the scene before her. A scene that would forever remain imprinted upon her mind. Something she would forever feel thousand shames over. Even as she approached ... the best friend she could ever have hoped to have had ever in her life, the guilt, the humiliation and despair threatened to completely drown her right there and then. But she had to do this ...Kelly had to tell Sabrina now...right now...what she knew to be true.

Tiffany looked up, as Kelly entered the cell. And immediately realised that Kelly had more bad news, even as she approached. It was something that Tiff had...an extra sense about people... a strange way of being able to read people. And now she was reading Kelly just fine. Something else was wrong. Really wrong. Oh God, please...not Kris...

"Kelly?" Tiffany queried, the worry plain in her voice.

"What is it...what's wrong?"

Kelly approached Tiffany first, as she realised Sabrina remained motionless upon her arrival in there.

"Tiff - hows Bri doing?" Kelly, in her anxiety, didn't realise she had just ignored Tiff's question.

"Uh, not good Kelly. Not that good. She needs a hospital...not ..." She threw her arms out at their surroundings. She didn't need to finish the sentence.

"I know, dammit!" Kelly snapped a little, totally aware of how bad things were.

"Sorry Tiff!" She immediately apologised, and crouched down to them both.

"We are gonna get out of here ...and real soon!" Kelly had to make Tiff believe this, even if she herself was doubtful. She needed someone to be level headed around here... because right now, she really didn't feel at all in control.

"I need to wake Bri. We.. have to talk." Kelly moved over to Sabrina's still form. Tiffany remained silent, only too aware of how much Kelly was on the edge. She very gently patted one of Sabrina's shoulders, and waited for a response.

Nothing.

"Sabrina?" Kelly said softly, and gently brushed Sabrina's hair away from her face. Even in the semi gloom she could make out the terrible mess there.

"My god..." She muttered to herself.

"Sabrina?!" She said a little more loudly. And gave her shoulder a little light shake.

A groan. A definite reaction. Kelly waited. My god, how much more was she supposed to take...? Kelly now wondered, how much more fight was left inside her? Her heart felt as though it was liquidating in her chest. Oh please Sabrina... I need you! Your... little girl needs you! oh God. How to tell her?

"K-Kel...?" A gasp of air escaped from Sabrina's lips, her friends name lingering in the heavy silence.

"Sabrina...shhh it's okay...don't talk... for now. I - I have something to tell you...something you ... need to know." Kelly stammered her way through her sentences. There was just no easy way to do what she needed to do.

Sabrina groaned again as she slowly rolled onto her back, gasping in pain. But through the pain, she heard the note of urgency in Kelly's voice. Oh God, she couldn't stand any more bad news. Then a thought shot through her mind like lightening. Kris? Oh no God no please not Kris...her heart began to hammer as she struggled to sit up, fighting against every stab of red hot pain it caused her.

"K-Kris...oh God Kelly ...! Is Kris...?"

Kelly immediately reached and gently held Sabrina's shoulders, looking into her face, seeing her tormented look.

"Oh no Bri! No, it's okay - Kris - she's okay! She's...safe...for now!"

She heard Tiffany breathe a sigh of relief then, and realised with a jolt that she had practically ignored her...again. Dammit Kelly. She took in a breath and let out a sigh, just as she saw Sabrina do the same thing.

"God... I thought.." Sabrina whispered, shaking her head slightly. So... what did Kelly have to say... her mind tried to think of reasons bad enough that Kelly would need to wake her. God she was so tired. Hurting, hurting, and so damned tired. She allowed her eyes to close, and even before she knew it, a cloud of nightmares were hanging right behind her eyes, waiting. Her eyes snapped open.

"Sabrina..." Kelly watched Sabrina almost fall asleep on her.

She took a deep breath, and held her friends gaze.

"I just came from the governors office...and... I saw..." Oh my God, she faltered.

"...I saw... a little girl... Sabrina..." Kelly's words came out hushed, and soft, but still loud enough for Sabrina to hear. Sabrina furrowed her brow, a quizzical look crossing her features.

"A girl...?! " She whispered. It hurt to talk. "God, Kelly ... " Sabrina's mind pushed vague flutterings of reasoning around, but nothing seemed to really make sense at all.

"A girl...?" She repeated, and looked into Kelly's face. "Why the ...hell...would that ... that...woman...bring her own daughter...into a ...a hellish nightmare like ...like this...?!" Sabrina managed to get the sentence out, shaking her head even more now.

"That evil, evil... " Sabrina's voice began to rise now, and her hands formed fists.

"Sabrina!" Kelly interrupted her. Sabrina looked up at Kelly, searching her face for answers. Then she heard Tiffany catch her breath. What?

"Sabrina... I really don't think... it's HER daughter..." Kelly waited, watched to see if this would help Bri understand what she was trying to say.

"Then who the hell else's...is..."

And then, Kelly saw the change...the glimmer of understanding flash across Sabrina's face. Kelly's heart felt as though it had stopped. Her nerves were strung so taught she thought they would instead of saying something else, Kelly was deeply dismayed to watch Sabrina begin to laugh. She watched in a few moments that seemed to drag into eternity as Sabrina completely flat out denied any possibility that her daughter was still still alive, with the grief-filled laughter that she now heard.

"Heh no Kelly! Oh no no no!" Sabrina tried to control the laughter now, feeling the spikes of pain down her body at each gasp of laughter. No, this wasn't funny! It damn well hurt! What the hell was Kelly saying to her? Just what the hell was she trying to pull here...? Sabrina blinked away the tears and then took as deep a breath as her battered ribs would allow. Then she really, really looked at Kelly. And something snapped in her mind then. As if... some kind of support had snapped, allowing all the unwanted discarded things held above it to come tumbling down to where it belonged. Right there. Right there in the centre of her mind and very being.

"Oh...MY ...GO-O-O-D!" Sabrina's voice went from a whisper to a violent scream and she launched herself up, knocking Kelly sprawling. "MY ...DAUGHTER! EMILYYYY!" Sabrina gasped as she made for the door, dragging herself, pushing herself to get up off her knees, everything in her body now running on pure adrenalin, every single thought now only for her daughter... her dead daughter who was now alive...

"YOU BITCH YOU BITCH YOU BITCH I'M GONNA KILL YOU YOU BITCH...!" She ranted, as she got to the door. But Kelly and Tiffany were quicker.

"God, NO Sabrina!" Kelly yelled, turning and catching Sabrina's waist. Tiffany stepped in front of Sabrina, seeing the look of pure hatred mixed with so much grief and pain, etched on her face.

"Get... THE ...HELL..OFF...me ...!" Sabrina managed to gasp through gritted teeth with pure venom, as she struggled for breath, struggled to move and struggled to make sense of her universe right there and then.

"Sabrina, you're hurting yourself...please stop!" Tiffany yelled, pushing her back by the shoulders as Sabrina made the door post, trying to pull herself round it. Even though there were no guards in sight, Tiffany was suddenly aware that she had stepped over the thresh hold of the door and was to all intents and purposes...almost free. The thought almost overwhelmed her reason, but then she refocussed and steadfastly began to push Sabrina easily back into the dark foul place that would have to stay their prison...for now.

"Aaaaghhh...!" Sabrina cried, as her hands slipped away from the door post and Kelly pulled her back inside, wrapping her arms around her.

"You ... you ... bitch goddam you...to hell!" Sabrina cried, still struggling to fight, but feeling what little strength she had, now fizzle. Her knees began to buckle.

"Please Sabrina..." Kelly implored. " Oh God please calm down! You can't do this! We can get her! We WILL get her! Just please please stop this!"

"You...god...damn...bitch!" Sabrina whispered with no strength whatsoever, before collapsing to the floor, losing conciousness.

"Oh, my God!" Tiffany spluttered, looking at Kelly. Kelly was shaking. Tiffany herself felt herself tremble inside. Kelly stood motionless, apart from shivering. Shock. Tiffany knelt next to Sabrina and checked her pulse. Too fast... She stood up to Kelly, who was now looking like she would fall over herself. Tiff gripped her shoulders.

"Kelly. We ARE going to get out of here! ALL of us, including the girl! Sabrina's girl!" She looked at Kelly more intently.

"You hear me? Oh my God!" Tiffany then wrapped Kelly in a fierce hug. Come on Kelly, please stay strong, please! Tiffany pleaded to herself. And to God, if He was listening.

Kelly clutched her throat. Something felt like it was snapping there. She was suffocating. Everything ... everything she had taken for granted was now falling apart. Her freedom... her logic... her mind all gone, now, she pushed Tiffany away. She didn't want her to see, she didn't want anyone to see her like this. She wanted to keep them away. She was ashamed, a feeling of guilt crawling up her body.

She could feel her body shiver and spasm with angst. She had to leave.

''Got... gotta get to.. phone..'' she uttered .

''But Kelly you cant go now you-''

''I am going to get us out of here Tiffany. Now...please...'' her voice broke and she slammed the bars back on their place again. Before Tiffany could get her she had already run up the stairs.

She stopped and breathed. She would be really lucky now, if still no one was behind the big ornate doors. She would be a hell of a lucky person. She closed her eyes and pushed again. Nobody. Not a sound.

She breathed lightly and grabbed the phone.

The ringing tone was heard again and again. Some footsteps where closing in, but they were shallow and unstable. Kelly realised they couldnt belong to a full grown adult like Helen. it must be Emily hiding somehwhere. She shifted her attention to the phone.

The voice of the woman in the call centre chimed in her ears. ''Yes.''

''Charles, Charles Townsend. Its urgent.''

''I will ring for you.''

The ringing tone beeped again and again. And finally oh, finally the all so familiar voice was heard.

''Hello?''

Kelly had just parted her lips to talk, to tell him how grateful she was for him being here so late but then the big doors slammed behind her and she shockingly became aware of another presence. Which this time grabbed the phone from her hand and slammed it in its place.

She turned around, but was prepared before she did, to face Helen. What she wasn't prepared for was the firm blow that caught the side of her face and send her to the floor. Her eyes opened wide as she gazed at the tall blond woman.

''Kelly how dare you!''

''Governor I-''

''How dare you! My daughter?!''

Kelly's glare shifted from Helen to the brown eyes staring at her from a corner in a mixture of surprise and shock.

''How could you?! I allowed you to go too far! Now this has to end Kelly!''

''Governor you do not understand- I did not-''

Kelly could sense the fear in her own voice. If she went down, all of them went would not fail her friends again... She would not fail Sabrina again. Not now.

''You're a cop, aren't you? You are here to take my daughter!''

Before Kelly could recover Helens heel had sunk deep into her side. She gasped in pain and her body curled in two in a natural reaction.

The minute she had manage to find her breath a small revolver had nestled in Helen's hand. A .22 caliber that could have easily been... oh my God...

''You killed Rose!'' gasped Kelly in horror, realising now.

''SHUT UP!''

Yelled Helen, her mind on Emily who had hidden herself in the corner, not daring to look.

''Emily go to your room! Now!'' she shouted again.

Helen's body was blocking her line of vision, but Kelly could make out something moving from behind. The kid was leaving that was had an enemy to take down. She should not allow fear or hatred to blind her. Without losing eye contact her right foot shot up, but Helen was prepared. The metal slammed hard on the tendon of her ankle.

''Dont move.''

She cocked the gun and pointed it at Kelly. Her free hand searched somewhere on her office and pushed something. She went to the big bookcase and easily rolled it on the left. A door was behind. She opened it, her eyes glues on Kelly.

''Get in.'' she ordered.

''Governor what is wrong?! Of course I am not a cop! I-''

''Get in here! Now!''

Kelly got slowly to her feet but before she could work an attack plan she was shoved in the darkness. And somehow darkness became darker as her head hit something hard. And then nothing mattered anymore...


	10. Chapter 10

**_I'm sorry for the long absence folks! Its been a long week and we both had little spare time. Hope you like what we did here. Its gonna unwrap itself soon. See you on the next chapter!_**

**_LK_**

* * *

A cascade of images. Emily. Emily...David... Emily...David... herself... a house... sunshine...a beach...Emily...David... David...laughing, smiling...Emily...her baby...holding her precious care close ... so very close... then... suddenly ... violently ... noooooo... noooooo... ahhhhh...noooo...  
"Noooooooohhh...!"  
Sabrina awoke in the ever silent and ever-present gloom and damp of her cell. She heard herself arouse with a cry...such a cry of anguish that... she really did not even recognise her own voice.  
Tiffany, slightly drowsing, suddenly bolted to Sabrina's side, all her own terrible nightmares and scenarios vanishing as abruptly as the pop off an unscrewed pop bottle.  
"Sabrina!" Tiffany came up close to Sabrina and attempted at once to throw a protective arm around Sabrina's shoulders, as she came awake, shaking, shivering.  
"NO!" Sabrina immediately shook Tiffany off and shuffled herself backwards, towards a protective wall, as she allowed the memories to seep down into her full conciousness.  
"NO!" Sabrina repeated. "NO!"  
"Sabrina...!" Tiffany implored her cell mate. She had every empathy for this poor woman who had lost so much and suffered... immensely... for what?! Tiffany had yet no idea! But she knew...oh God she knew... She had to try and help... protect even... one of their own!  
Sabrina's senses fired off all at once and so she moved physically forward, her arms reaching out for...for ...something she could not yet grasp. Bit Tiffany interrupted, and caught hold of Sabrina, as she attempted to scramble forward.  
"Hey ...Sabrina... hey! Slow down huh?!" Tiffany attempted to interject. Yet Sabrina was undeterred.  
Tiff felt herself pushed away as Sabrina scrambled unsteadily to her feet once more, a renewed vigour screaming out from her, even in her silence, a renewed violent anger erupting even through her own centred self control. The self control that she always completely relied upon. The self control that she recently, and soul-destroyingly found...  
But as she moved forward in such reflex action, even her anger could not overcome the terrible weakness that now held her entire body prisoner, and she sunk once more to her knees, feeling the bitter tang of darkness bite at her senses once more. Sabrina then rolled and sagged to the floor in a heap once again, as Tiffany moved to catch her fall.  
"Oh my God!" Tiffany moaned, as she caught hold of Sabrina and gently lowered her to the cold unrelenting stone floor.  
"Oh my God!" She repeated, her heart wrenching at Sabrina's plight. She tried to arrange Sabrina as comfortably as possible, but found that really...there was no possible position other than flat on her back. So Tiff rolled Bri as gently as she could, onto her back. And as she did this, the cell door suddenly clanged open and Tiff gasped in total surprise. She was so wound up in Sabrina, she never anticipated anyone coming back to their cell...  
The light from the hallway shone halfway into the musty cell and Tiffany squinted, shielding her eyes. Was it Kelly? No... the build looked heavier...taller... she moved closer to Sabrina, afraid that... the poor woman was yet once more about to undergo yet more ... treatment.  
"I want you!"  
The guard came cautiously into the cell, baton extended. Tiff stood still...felt every nerve tense...every muscle stiffen... she was ... unbound...she could...make a break... right here...right now...she ...could take out this guard if she so pleased. But the shock of the situation overwhelmed her...she...she could NOT! Damn it...she could not leave without Sabrina...goddamit Tiff...Make a decision...Tiffany fought for fight or flight as the guard drew nearer. Every fibre in Tiffany's body yelled "Get the hell away!"  
Yet...she glanced back at her...colleague on the floor and knew...with a gut sinking feeling... that fighting her way out now would be tantamount to Sabrina's murder...  
The silhouette of the guard became less obscure and more... in complete dimension as she approached, and Tiffany's eyes grew accustomed to the new light.  
"Okay Sweetheart! I can see... someone forgot to ... make you secure! Alright...I can make this as easy... "  
Tiffany heard the sugar coated threat in the womans' voice as she approached further.  
"Or as ... painful ...as you want..."  
The guard then sniggered in contempt towards her apparently defenceless prisoner.  
"The choice is yours ...honey...!"  
The guard continued to advance and Tiffany saw the threat all to well. Not just the baton...but what looked like a stun gun of sorts. And Tiffany was in no doubt as to how much ...pain...this guard would mete out, given half the chance...  
Tiff stepped away from Sabrina and held her hands up in direct submission.  
"Hey... I - I - I don't want no trouble!" She stammered. Hoping the guard would believe her.  
The guard stopped a foot or so short of Tiffany.  
"Oh really sweetheart? Oh well never mind huh! Put your hands on your head and turn around!"  
Tiffany immediately did as she was ordered. Then as she turned, she felt her arms being roughly pulled down behind her and her wrists violently cuffed behind her back. She stifled a yelp, as she was dragged backwards from her cell. The last thing she glimpsed was the prone form of Sabrina... unconscious and dead to the plight of her cell mate.  
The next thing Tiffany knew... a cover of some description had been thrown over her head. Now she was blind, and totally unable to discern where she was being taken. She felt herself dragged along corridor space...but in her utter confusion, she could not work out where...or in what direction!  
She then hit some stairs... or rather, was dragged up them. And as her guard pushed her onwards past these, she sensed some slight change in temperature... or was she imagining things...?  
But then finally, her guard dragged Tiffany to a halt, making her wrists chafe once more with the rough pull on the cuffs. She winced. but did not cry out.  
"Okay sweetheart...this is where you get to... have some fun!"  
The woman's voice leered, close to her head. Tiffany blinked rapidly under cover of her stifling head gear. It was too hot...too clammy... if they didn't take the thing off soon... jeez... she might go crazy!

She heard a door being opened, then felt herself thrust viciously forward. She also sensed, through the head cover, brighter lights. Tiffany tried to think. Was she outside? No..she didn't think so...not even a tiny breath of outside air seemed to permeate the hood. No...something else... she breathed in a little, trying to ...taste the air. It tasted...sterile.  
She then was thrust forward into the room and she stumbled and would have fallen flat on her face if another pair of arms hadn't roughly caught her and pulled her forward still.  
"Okay we got her...you can go now!" A male voice said. Tiffany felt herself being pushed into a chair, and some kind of straps were applied over her arms and shins.  
"What are you doing?!" She tried to shout through the hood. She was breathing hard now, there was very little air and the excursion up from her cell had not been a dawdle.  
"Hey ... I ... I can't breathe...!" She gasped. But then her head was roughly pushed back and she felt yet another strap go across her forehead. She was pinned. She couldn't move! A panic began to build...  
"Please...!" Tiffany gasped again, feeling her chest tighten.  
"What do you think?" The male voice she heard spoke to another.  
"Well she's not here to be suffocated. Take it off - just cover her eyes." Another - perhaps older male voice replied. The hood was then pulled off and Tiffany blinked, sucking in lungfuls of air, trying to bring some order back to her panicked thoughts. Yet she was given no chance to look around her, as something was wrapped around her eyes and tied at the back somewhere, obscuring her vision. But she realised with some stomach shrinking foreboding, that this was the least of her problems. What the hell were they going to do? She clenched her teeth together in an attempt to get her fear under control, and calmed her breathing. She could hear the clink of something near her... sounds of something... being prepared? Her whole body tensed, as she tried to imagine what was about to happen next.  
Tiffany felt her stomach churn. Oh God, just what the hell were they going to give her? She strained against the straps, even though she knew it was useless. They held her fast. As if she was in an iron clamp. She felt her right wrist being prodded and she stiffened, waiting for the needles she knew was coming. And it was stabbed in mercilessly. She groaned through clenched teeth.  
"..You...you're crazy...if you think..you can...get..." Tiffany muttered, as she sensed the liquid intrusion within herself. She shuddered.  
Tiffany then felt herself go suddenly warm and clammy. A fizzing sensation shot down her spine and she shuddered again. Oh God, please...what... what did they give me? Then her heart gegan to race. Oh please... she didn't wish to die right now.. but ...they said..she wasn't going to be killed, right? Oh, but then ...wait...he said...she wasn't there to be...suffocated... huh? Did that mean they still wanted her to die?  
Oh...God...she felt sick. her heart was racing far too fast... and ... the voices... what were they saying? Weren't there only 2 people in the room? Now she heard more. A lot more. What ...? She tried to shake her head but was unable to.  
"Who's there?" She slurred. "What do you want... I ... I ...can't hear all of you..." She groaned.  
"Okay, let her see." The older one instructed.  
"But... she can't see what's in here..." The younger man said.  
"Don't worry... she won't be able to remember a thing... even if she survives..."  
Tiffany's eyes tried to adjust to the glaring brightness of the room as she blinked rapidly, trying to get her bearings. She felt giddy. Her vision was taking a long time to clear. Finally, after some long moments, things swam into a soft focus. This wasn't right, she decided. She sniffed. She could smell... something strange. She wondered if she could smell her own fear...she giggled, despite herself. Ha ha Tiffany, she scolded herself, you're scared! Ha ha, you're damned scared! She looked further around the room. The voices were fading, but still muttering from somewhere. Where was everyone...?  
"Hello...?" She asked, into the silence.  
Something flew past her, shrieking in rage. She squealed in fright.  
"Ohmygodohmygodwhat...what the Hell...?" She panted, her eyes wide, her pupils wide also. Sweat now seeped from her hairline and trickled into her eyes and down the side of her nose. It itched. She wanted to wipe her face, but was unable. It tickled!  
Her face itched badly... like some ants were crawling down ...  
There was a piercing scream from the chair. Tiffany bucked and writhed against the straps, totally unaware that she was causing damage to herself.  
"GET THEM OFFAME! Ahhhhhhh! Please getthemoffameeee!" She screamed and writhed, as more and more ants seemed to run from her hair and down her cheeks, her nose, her chin...  
"Okay... good enough... let's have her back in the cells..." The older man walked to the door and beckoned the guard back. He saw that the guard had a colleague with him. Good. They would need two.

Kelly sunk lower to the floor. She felt like she would be evaporated in seconds. It felt cold and damp. What the hell didn't feel cold and damp in there? She sighed.  
She still couldn't see her surroundings. A small walk around had informed her that the room was small. TOO small. She felt an involuntary chill crawl up her spine and a drop of cold sweat dripped down her forehead. She found a corner with touch and then nestled there like she always did, like she always had done in her life. She avoided looking around. There wasn't much to see anyway. She was never afraid of the dark. What scared her was the small cage she was now locked in. And the supply of air she possibly had, which became less and less with every breath she took. Subconsciously she stopped breathing. She had to push herself to start breathing again. She allowed shivering to take over. Maybe now she would be warmed. Kind of. She looked up and down trying to penetrate the darkness with her eyes but it was of no use. How many times had she been in places like that? How long ago?  
Long enough... and many enough, she thought with a hint of sarcasm to herself.  
As anxiety started to built in her chest, drowning her, she realised there was no escape. She was locked up in a closet again. Again.  
And obviously no one could come and get her out. She was at Helen's mercy. And she knew that this word did not exist in her vocabulary.  
Of course. This woman knew exactly how to break someone. She broke Sabrina. Possibly Kris too. As the thought that there was no escape sunk in, Kelly felt the air in her lungs somehow heavier. She pulled her feet close to her chest and laid her head there. Her chest felt heavy. She put a hand on her heart and sensed her beat then almost immediately she started to hyperventilate. No good! She got up. God she was so nauseous and even though the place was dark she could feel everything spin around. One more step and she again landed back on the floor. She couldn't breath, no air at all. No breath no air... and suddenly a small flash of light raced through her eyes. In an instant adrenaline rushed in and she was up on her feet trying to find an opening. At this point Kelly had been split into two different persons. One knew there was no way out, and one was trying the impossible to find one. She found where she came in and rushed there, her shoulder landing hard on the door frame. Her own force reversed and she almost fell again.  
Kelly's voice echoed in her head. ''What are you doing?''  
Ignoring it she fell on the door again and again and again until the pain and agony and tiredness was so overwhelming she just allowed herself to slip on the floor.  
No way out. Absolutely no way out.  
She laid there for some time, she didnt know how long. The only thing she heard was the beat of her own heart - slow now. Pat pat. Pat pat.  
Pat pat?  
That was no heartbeat. She got up slowly, too tired to try again and turned her ear to the door. She couldn't hear the sound anymore - just felt the vibration. Someone was knocking?  
Or you went crazy and you're imagining things, she scolded herself. Kelly pulled herself closer. Now, that she was on the same level as the hidden door she realised there was a small dot of light coming from somewhere. A small crack.  
With enthusiasm she noticed a small crack, large enough to just take a small look outside. Oh my God...  
She drew closer and put her right eye as close as she could get.  
First surprise was the sudden flash of light of the outside world that almost blinded her. Second... second was the brown eye that met hers. And there was only one person it could belong to.  
''Sabrina?'' she whispered, half of her knowing that this was impossible...  
Both of her palms touched the cold all in order to see better.  
The eye pulled away and was replaced by the firm surroundings of Helen's office. And right in the middle a little girl.  
''Emily!'' she gasped. ''Oh my God, Emily!'''  
Emily returned her glance, surprised and turned her head on the side.  
''Emily... Emily can you hear me?'' Kelly said louder.  
Emily nodded looking around. Maybe Helen was close.  
''Emily, can... can you give me a pen honey?''  
Emily sat on the floor looking at her. Kelly's heart sunk. ''Come on Emily, a pen? Please?''  
At the same time she started patting her guards uniform, discovering a small scrap of paper. An escape plan was forming in her mind already.  
Emily looked at her questioningly.  
''In the desk... a pen... please hurry Emily! Give me a pen! Quick!... Emily... Emily can you hear me?'' Kelly said louder.  
It was probably the urge in Kelly's voice that made the little girl get up and race to the desk, only to return a little later with a pencil. Close enough, thought Kelly. This would do the work  
Emily pressed the tip of the pencil on the small crack. It didnt fit. But the sharp edge broke and landed on Kelly's knees. She blindly found it and secured it in her palm.  
Her fingers trembled as she tried to find the paper she had. She looked at Emily. ''Thank you... thank you... so much...''  
She scribbled a few words, wondering if anyone could read it. She formed the paper into a tiny tube and stopped. Now what? Could Emily understand her instructions? Well she was Sabrina's daughter... she thought with a smile. She had to.  
And probably she didnt understand that her thoughts formed into words and now she had Emily's full attention.  
''Mummy?''  
Kelly's eyes grew wide. Could she recognise Sabrina's name? She heard footsteps approach. Oh my God she meant Helen... it was Helen. She had to hurry.  
''Emily... Emily look at me... look at me... do you know Jason? Jason?''  
He was a guard... he probably came here lots of times... Emily had to have seen him...oh God please... ''Do you Emily? Do you?"  
''Uh huh...''  
Kelly pressed the small tube on the crack and it fell on the floor on the other side. ''Take this and give it to him. Only him. Jason, understand? Jason. Don't tell mummy... it's a surprise for her, ok?'  
And what a surprise , thought Kelly. She watched the little girl take the paper and hide it into her clothing. She stayed there.  
''No Emily, go, go find Jason, hurry up! It's for mummy!'' Oh my god Helen shouldn't find her here... go go...  
She watched in relief as Emily turned her back and dissappeared. Almost at the same time Helen took her seat behind the desk. Kelly collapsed on the floor on the other side. She could only wait now.

Searching... she is always searching...every time she passes a doorway. Or every time there is the sound of a small child. A car passing by full of family...could she be...? Then... a fading... to a burning of ashes... a graveside... no...no please oh no no no...  
"Nuh...n-nooo oh nooo...!" Sabrina whimpered in the cold and dark, her senses once again aligning themselves with the rank, cold atmosphere that was her cell. And as she came to, as the dream... was it just a dream? shrunk back to a far away place, realities began to bludgeon their way into her consciousness. The familiar clang of the cell door suddenly reverberated through her brain and down through the rest of her body, causing her to shiver. Sabrina attempted to open her eyes in the darkness... knowing already ... what inescapable bland dark shadows awaited her sight.  
But even as she opened her eyes, she sensed company...  
"Tiff...?" Sabrina croaked out.  
...Silence...  
Then the rustle of movement. A shift in air pressure. Breathing. Someone was close by. She hoped to God it was Tiffany.  
"Hey... Tiffany? That you?" Sabrina felt even more uncomfortable at the silence. All her her emotions were now surfacing and mixing with the fear that she had held back... dammed up for... oh so long now. Then, since Kelly and Tiffany had suddenly appeared here from...nowhere...it seemed like she... might finally, finally after so long of hoping against hope, have a chance of getting out of this... demonised place. Getting out... the thought suddenly struck her as odd. For a moment, she forgot about Tiffany's silence and her mind crept back into the emptyness that she had become accustomed to. Getting out... to ...what? Just what the hell ... was she ever supposed to go back to...?! But just as unwelcome ideas began to gather and form themselves in reply, like storm clouds on the horizon of her perceptions, they were interrupted and scattered like crows, when Tiffany finally answered.  
"Me?" The voice sounded hollow... disconnected somehow.  
"Yeah...you huh? Tiff?" Sabrina felt a little ... chill at the nape of her neck. She stayed where she was, wondering what was now bothering her cell mate.  
Tiffany felt totally disorientated. She had no idea where she was. She felt rough stone under her fingers as she moved along the wall, wanting nothing more than to sink to the ground and ... huh? Did someone just say her name? She giggled. Tiff? Yes... that was her name... who just said that? She thought she had been left alone finally. The voices had subsided and stopped. Tiffany stood still then slowly turned and faced in towards the room.  
Sabrina turned towards the giggle, now fully alert.  
"Uh Tiff...are you okay? You sound kinda ... strange... what's up?" Sabrina decided to keep some distance from Tiff for now. She really wasn't ready for any aggravation right now.  
"Up...? Up? Up where?" Tiffany slurred. She tilted her head up to stare at the ceiling but saw nothing of interest.  
"Up ... up... up..." Tiffany muttered to herself. Sabrina's eyes grew wide in the dark. What the hell was wrong with her?!  
"Up up up upupupupupup..." Tiffany continued to stare at the ceiling seeing nothing and repeating herself.  
"Tiffany...hey Tiff! What the hells wrong?!" Sabrina cut across the repetitions.  
"Oh!" Tiffany stopped midway. Oh... she wondered dreamily to herself... Hell... hell... hell is wrong... yes it is... and...  
Before another thought could form, a demonic figure rose up from nowhere, it's skin boiling and melting, eyes sinking and sliding, yet glowing terrifyingly red in the darkness.  
Tiffany shrieked in absolute terror and fell back against the wall, clutching at her face, unable to take her eyes away from the apparition before her. She screamed again and Sabrina heard the incredible fear rushing out from that awful noise. She scrambled up through her own pain and over towards a still screaming Tiffany and grabbed her by the shoulders. Tiffany shrieked even louder, threatening to burst Sabrina's ear drums.  
"Tiff! Tiffany STOP it's me it's Sabrina stop hey listen stop and listen to my voice! Tiffany!" Sabrina tried to communicate and make Tiff stop screaming. Then she had an idea. She clamped her hand over Tiff's mouth, then with her other hand she grabbed a handful of Tiff's loose hair, forcing her head away from the wall and forcing the struggling woman to the floor. It wasn't difficult Sabrina realised...Tiffany was really unsteady on her feet and went down easily. Which was a good job because Sabrina felt the agony of her injuries about to consume her once more.  
Once Tiff was down, Sabrina forced her arms up over her head and kept them there, while keeping her hand over a now almost silent Tiff who was struggling for air.  
"Now I'm gonna take my hand away... yo gotta stop screaming, okay?!" Sabrina said, puffing with the exertion, her whole body clamouring for rest. So much for no aggro, she thought, unamused. She could clearly see the whites of Tiffs eyes, and really didn't like the huge fear she sensed there.  
"Okay, Tiff?" Sabrina repeated. Tiffany seemed to nod. Sabrina slowly removed her hand. Tiffany gasped for air then became still, breathing raggedly.  
Tiffany looked up with so much dread at the figure hovering over her, that she didn't dare speak. She couldn't speak. Her tongue felt frozen in her mouth. Frozen? Cold...yes she was cold. She ... was ... like ice...She began to shiver. Cold... now...so cold... her eyelids began to droop. Ice ... she felt ice forming on her eyelashes... the breath in her body seared her insides as it puffed in her chest, seeming to freeze her lungs solid.  
"Tiff? Tiffany? Oh my God...Tiffany!" Sabrina watched in dread as she saw Tiffany's eyes slowly close.  
She patted Tiffany's cheek to try and keep her awake.  
"No Tiff! No! Don't sleep! Oh my God! What... what have they given you? God, what have they done to you?!" Sabrina leaned closer to Tiffany's face, trying to detect her breathing. Sabrina brought an arm down and placed her palm on her chest and felt... a shallow rise and fall. Oh sweet Jesus... poor kid! What the hell had they given her? Sabrina had a fair idea but wasn't entirely sure. She needed to try and ground Tiffany in some kind of reality...but how the hell...?  
It was almost like listening to ... a dog growl... Tiffany decided. The sound... the echo... of force... which then reverberated through her mind like tiny shards of repetitions slicing through the fog and hammering home to embed themselves into her consciousness. Yet... it felt... almost...safe...as long as she kept her eyes shut. The freezing sensation was fading... and now ...she could feel almost...almost ... normal...except...except for... some pressure from above...what ...was it? Did she dare to open her eyes? Did she dare to glimpse the stark reality of death coming for her...again? Noooo... nooo... she could not ever look upon such a ... sight again... she knew... it would send her spiralling ...somewhere into oblivion... but...well...maybe that wasn't such a bad idea... yet... something nagged at some deeper level of her mind...  
"Tiffany... Tiffany! Come on! Talk to me! I know you're in there!"  
Sabrina continued to swat at Tiff's face. She had to bring her round. She had to wake Tiff up. Whatever the cost. Sabrina decided to go one step further, in necessity. She drew her arm back and aimed to deliver a slap to Tiffany's face...  
Yet just as she did so, Tiffany surprised her still, by darting out her free arm and grasped hold of Sabrina's hand, mid-strike.


	11. Chapter 11

_Well okay, sorry for the late update... real life gets in the way sometimes. Enjoy and please review!_

_LK_

* * *

_"Tiffany... Tiffany! Come on! Talk to me! I know you're in there!" _  
_Sabrina continued to swat at Tiff's face. She had to bring her round. She had to wake Tiff up. Whatever the cost. Sabrina decided to go one step further, in necessity. She drew her arm back and aimed to deliver a slap to Tiffany's face... _  
_Yet just as she did so, Tiffany surprised her still, by darting out her free arm and grasped hold of Sabrina's hand, mid-strike._  
Tiffany saw nothing less than ... a terrible and grotesque parody of her former cell mate...as she reached out and attempted to stop the oncoming abuse.  
And then Tiffany sprang up, knocking Sabrina sideways as she did so.  
"You stay AWAY from me you ... you... disgusting creature!"  
Tiffany backed away down the wall, hands up, trying to ready herself for the onslaught she had already decided was coming.  
Sabrina stood still... shocked and a little hurt at the assignation. What the hell was going on in her mind? She wondered wildly.  
"Hey hey... Tiffany ...it's me!" Sabrina attempted. "It's Sc...it's Sabrina! Huh? Please... I am not going to hurt you!"  
Tiffany's eyes were wide with fright. She could see only a terrible and ghastly figure approach, mouthing obscenities and threats... threats of merciless agony and death... She only wanted to close her eyes now and die. That''s all she wanted to do. That is all she cared about. The thing came closer, muttering terrible and disgusting things. Tiffany crept desperately ever backwards until finally her back bumped into a wall. Crap. Dead end. She chuckled. Dead! Oh yes! Very...very dead quite soon! Dead. The word reverberated in her brain. Dead dead dead a dead thing... not living... not ... life... without life... like this thing coming towards her... oh my God..oh my God my God sweet mother... Tiffany felt tears of hot fear leak from her eyes...please oh please oh please don't let it touch me... please... just let me die ...I want to die I want to die die ...die...  
Sabrina stopped. She could sense...no...she could almost smell the fear from Tiffany now. Oh God...poor Tiffany... what ever the hell she had been given, Sabrina realised, the effects were not about to wear off any time soon. She needed to back off. Tiffany was about to ... self destruct or something, she recognised this much. Sabrina took in a deep breath then exhaled.  
"Tiffany please... listen to the sound of my voice huh? It is alright. I am ...going to just leave you alone now huh?" Sabrina began to back off. If there was one thing Sabrina herself had learned in this hell hole... it was ... when to back off... This had never been her strong point in the past but now, these days...she had ... picked up a few valuable pointers in life.  
Tiffany watched wide eyed with extreme fear as the apparition began to fade into the gloom. She blinked in the darkness. Had it really been there? Had there really been a creature? Well Tiff... you saw it with your own eyes dammit! Didn't you? Didn't you?! Tiffany's logic was now trying to break through the barrier of drugs that were working their almost intangible way through her system. Oh please... I need to end this nightmare! Tiffany groaned aloud, and sunk to her knees. The fear of the unknown was seeming to abate a little. Now all she needed to face up to was...reality? Reality? heh! She began to laugh, despite her ongoing torment. Laughter...was after all, then best medicine... so she laughed. Tiffany couldn't hold the emotion back any longer. She laughed ... and laughed until the tears came.  
Sabrina sat back and watched. Watched and felt her heart wrench for this poor woman. Someone who...she now realised...was on her side. And all Sabrina herself could do right now was ...sit and wait...for the ...awful awful nightmares to subside.  
Some minutes leached by. Sabrina listened and waited. Tiffany laughed until she sobbed into the darkness. Yet still...Sabrina waited. She felt... this was what Tiff needed...a little time to... re-adjust. So she waited. and waited. Finally, Tiffany's sobs gave way to... a few small hiccups. Which then finally gave way to...silence. Sabrina now decided to try to reach out to Tiffany. She moved forward a few inches, as quietly as she could.  
"Tiff?" She whispered into the darkness. There was a sudden flurry of activity in the dark, then Sabrina was completely knocked off her feet once again by an extremely fully agitated Tiff.  
Sabrina was completely floored. And what very very little energy she had left was fast dissipating once more. She held her arms up in defence of attack, and felt a bony body launch itself upon her.  
"Leave me alone!" It shrieked, close enough to almost shred Sabrina's eardrum once more.  
"Leave me the hell alone or I am gonna kill you kill you am gonna kill you...!" Tiffany's voice continued to shriek in Sabrina's ear as the woman vaunted her pent up anger, fear and stress upon a less than ready Sabrina.  
"Tiffany!" Sabrina gasped, trying desperately to fend off her would-be colleague.  
"I can't... I can't... I don't wanna hurt you Tiff...!" Sabrina managed to utter as Tiffany went for Sabrina's throat.  
" You're a freaking nightmare is what you are... you're a goddam nightmare is what you are! And am gonna kill you dead! Am gonna make you die! You're gonna die ..die ...die...!"  
Tiffany had fastened her hands tightly around Sabrina's throat before Sabrina could even blink. And now it was Sabrina's turn to struggle for air.  
"You...you..!." Tiffany spluttered, trying to close off the windpipe of the ghastly thing that was wanting to end her life forever.

It was too dark in the big building. Too dark for any hope to creep in. Too dark that even a ray of the hot sun would not penetrate the thickness in the brightest morning.  
It was also so dark that the small figure in the slippery corridors could not be seen by anybody. Falling, getting up and slipping again, the lone figure was making its short journey.  
Emily, at that point did not know exactly where she was. In her childish mind there was a mission that had to be carried to the letter.  
For her, Jason, the young guard was nothing more than a familiar face. Without hesitation, though, she knew she had to find him, and give him the message that Kelly held so precious. After all it was all happening for mommy. Kelly's words buzzed once more in her mind. Find him... but where? She sat on the floor of the corridor and her mind got carried away. She was tired, and she knew that ''tired'' was the feeling you get before falling asleep. As much as she wanted to help that green eyed woman it was all too distant now.  
She curled and secured once more the small paper in her clothes. Sleep fogged her mind after a while.  
Since she could remember, her dreams where full of images. But the stronger -and more common one - was at the same time the dimmest of them all. She couldn't really place if it was a memory or a dream but it seemed to visit her every night. It was a white form, a person, leaning over. She could not clearly see a face but she could tell it wouldn't hurt her. She always would hear a voice. It was smooth and calm. Her mommy, once had told her about how an angel looks over people when they sleep. She knew now, that this form was... an angel.

Kris had been awake for some time now. And she was growing more anxious as the time ticked by. Her arms were cuffed to the bed so she wasn't even able to turn comfortably and try to doze. She always hated sleeping on her back for some reason. She had studied her surroundings as much as she was able, and was now getting thoroughly bored with the same scenery staring silently back at her. Although there was one other person in the room, she could see. But after many attempts at communicating, Kris had decided that the person was either kept dosed out of it, or was possibly ... even dead. That thought had made her shudder and turn her thoughts elsewhere. How long was a person supposed to be kept like this anyway? She felt so isolated and useless. She knew she was going to need the bathroom real soon. Someone had better come along, or she was gonna start and make a whole lotta noise. She sighed for around the hundredth time. God she wished she knew what was happening with Kelly and Tiff. What the hell was going on in this place anyway? These thoughts continued to taunt Kris as she lay helpless on the bed. Nothing made any sense so far. The prison was yet another place where physical and mental abuse went on unchecked. How many times can people in 'authority' get away with such criminal activities? Kris's mind felt disorganised and weary, as she tried to make sense of very little input so far. Being apart from her colleagues for so long on a case, she realised, was beginning to get to her...again. The memories of Calejo and Big Aggie returned once again, and Kris closed her eyes, wishing to blank it all out. She didn't need these thoughts right now. Then the noise of a door opening interrupted her unwanted thoughts and her eyes at once sprang open.  
"Oh great!" Kris exclaimed with some sarcasm at the guard who approached her.  
"I need to pee and they send a man!"  
The guard smiled apologetically.  
"Sorry ... uh..Miss Munro..." He approached her bed.  
Kris blinked, surprised. "Miss...Munro? Since when did the militia get so polite?"  
"Uh... well..." Jason began, not knowing really how to reveal his disloyalty towards his employers.  
Kris eyed the guard suspiciously, trying to figure him out. Then she watched in further surprise as he dragged a chair up and sat down, much like a normal visitor would if she were a normal patient in a normal hospital.  
Look, Miss ... Munro... I have something to tell you..." Jason began, trying to come across without threat.  
"Oh? Like... you're going to unlock me off this bed and let me outta here, maybe?" Kirs kept up the sarcasm, unsure of the guards motive or intent.  
Jason smile again. Nice smile, Kris thought, then mentally shook herself.

"Well, I can do the first part for you, if you promise to behave!" He smiled again.  
Kris smiled back a little, despite the situation.  
"Okay, so... what did you want to tell me?"  
"I ...uh... look - I wanna help you girls get out of here." Jason looked over his shoulder, expecting to see Helen herself eyeing him coldly from the doorway. But the place remained silent. He turned back.  
"I hate what goes on in here..." He continued, looking down at his hands now.  
"... and I'm trying to help Kelly..."  
"Kelly?!" Kris interrupted, feigning boredom. She really wasn't sure of this guys motive. He could be a plant... someone sent to get her to talk.  
"Who's Kelly?" She asked, stifling a yawn.  
Jason looked at her, trying to weigh up the situation.  
"Look, of course you don't trust me...why should you? But I know who you are... Kelly asked me to bring you here instead of leaving you in your cell. She's a good person, you know?" Jason rambled a little bit, not knowing how to gain Kris's trust.  
"Yeah I know!" Kris muttered, then immediately regretted the mistake.  
"I mean... I guess so!" She turned her head away, trying to sound dis-interested.  
"I mean, she must be nice if you say so..." Kris tried in vain to cover up her mistake but she realised it was too late.  
"Miss Munro...um Kris..." Jason tapped her gently on the arm for her attention. Kris looked back, trying to give a cool stare, but her instincts towards people were starting to get the better of her. Was he telling her the truth?  
"...look... I don't know where Kelly is right now, but I can take you to see Miss Welles...I know where she is. I really am trying to help you,okay?"  
Jason then stood up, the chair scraping back on the floor.  
"Now... like I said before... I'm gonna unlock you from the bed but I can't remove the cuffs. I'm sorry... I'm still a guard, huh?"  
Kris shrugged her shoulders.  
"So you going to be okay here?" Jason asked, as he bent to unlock one of the cuffs. "Can I ... trust you?" Jason knew this question would raise an eyebrow...and it did.  
Kris smirked.  
"Trust huh? Well let's just see where this little outing takes us first, huh?"  
"Sure." Jason then continued to release Kris from the bed and helped her to stand. She was still unsteady, but determined not to give too much away. She allowed the guard to lead her from the infirmary.

The little girl woke up suddenly. The urge to carry on Kelly's words was stronger than her sleep. The Angel had once more visited her leaving a soft smile on her lips. Everything was alright now, not even the darkness was threatening anymore.  
She paced as quickly as her legs carried her for a while. She didn't really know where she was. A man passed by, but he was not Jason, that much she knew. She went unnoticed, due to her small size and she decided that, even if wasn't Jason, he looked like him, he wore the same clothes, so he might be going to him. She followed him. Her footsteps were too light to hear even in the silence of the corridor. In contrast, the mans heavy guard boots were allowing her to follow him from a safe distance.  
For a girl her height and age people were all about shoes and knees. She rarely raised her head to look on faces, except from when she saw familiar shoes, or heard familiar voices. Like in her dream, when she heard the voice, and she would look up...  
She stopped. The man was gone. She had lost him. She was lost. What?  
She wanted mommy, NOW! It was all to frightening now, and the Angel was not there, she visited only in her dreams. The fact she was alone in that big and dark place made tears well in her eyes.  
She paced around wiping the tears off her eyes and sobbing quietly. Where was she? Where where where...? She decided that, for sure, mommy would be looking for her, and she would be somewhere around, maybe shouting her name. Yeah that's right, she's somewhere waiting and she has to go and find mommy!  
She broke into a run and stopped as she saw a staircase leading to a lower floor. For Emily, it was the first time seeing the whole place. Usually Helen would either keep her in the room or take her for a walk in the woods outside.  
As is common to young kids, her attention shifted rapidly and curiosity started to get the better of her. Carefully, one step at a time, as Helen had instructed, one of the many times she would come and read her stories before going to bed, she climbed down the seemingly oversized steps. At the end of the staircase only more silence awaited. She could hear sounds, maybe a breathing, maybe a scratching. She looked around and glanced at the unmistakable glimmer of human eyes in the darkness, though, for her, it wasn't something human, rather a threat, a blood craving monster. The monster seemed to have a voice. It was a female, but she couldn't really make out what she said. ''Hey, what's a little girl doing down here?''  
Emily panicked and started to run, but now she had no idea where she came from so she ended up running in the wrong direction, even more deeper, even further.  
More glimmers now, maybe, yes, maybe in the distance that could be a small light, there, that must be mommy!  
Yes, that's right, mommy's there, keeping the light on for her to see! Run Emily! Run! Mommy cant wait long! She's here!  
As her breathing became more rapid, more became the noise from the nearby cells. Many of the inmates pulled themselves close to the bars just to be assured they were having one more of the usual delusions.  
When she finally got to the light, she saw it was only a small gas lamp set in a corner, casting shadows on uneven walls.  
As much as the silence was before now, she could hear sounds of struggling. There was a voice... a voice...  
''DIE! I will kill you!''  
Emily looked around. She didn't completely understand the meaning of the words but as all of children her age she clearly understood the tone. And it was not friendly.  
She looked inside and for the first time she saw what seemed to be a ''cage''of some kind, though, this time there were no birds inside, but two women, no, more like two forms, really close to each other. As she drew closer she saw then there was a blond woman that looked a little bit like her mom... but no, she wasn't. And then there was this other one, the one with the bent knees.  
For a minute the other womans eyes wandered around and locked on hers. Could she really see her? Emily sat on the floor scared. This couldn't be... this couldn't be... This ... this was her Angel!  
She got up and grabbed the bars.  
''STOP IT! LEAVE HER ALONE!'' she demanded from the blond figure and the echo of her own voice returned to her eardrums. Both of the women stopped. Emily wanted to stay, but now it was not possible, she could hear footsteps approaching.

Sabrina once more felt her world slipping away into complete and utter blackness. It was an almost welcome feeling, the enticing thought beckoned. Yes, yes...all she needed to do now was...nothing. Don't struggle...don't try to breathe... just ... let it go... just... let... go... And once again... the beckoning thought became an overriding emotion... a prelude to ... death? Sabrina's mind flickered ... sensed an end... sensed... the inevitable as she relinquished her tenuous grip on... E-Emily...? A fleeting and greying image flitted through her senses, fading ghostlike, as an afterthought. Emily...? Her own voice echoed weakly through her mind, to sift errant thoughts, then to settle into her fading conciousness. Oh... please...nooo... Emilyyyyy...

Tiffany watched with defiant triumph as she held on to the throat of the insidious being that was about to spring and take her own life. Yet as she watched, her vision began to blur once more. Something was changing, transforming under her intent gaze, even as she held fast to extinguish its hell-born life...  
Then as she tried desperately to complete her task, two things happened simultaneously. Tiffany felt her wrists grabbed and forced from their grip with so much strength, whilst hearing a terrible shriek emanate from the being beneath her. Then without warning, two people now rushed in upon them. She had completely failed to hear approaching sounds of footsteps, voices and the cell being unlocked, before finding herself tackled from her tormentor.  
Jason threw himself over Tiffany, yanking her by the hair and shoulders, away from a gasping and still screaming Sabrina. Kris, still tethered by cuffs, stood frozen at the doorway, uncomprehending the awful noise and incredible confusion now unravelling rapidly before her. Who the hell was in here?! She tried to block out the shrieking rage of the woman who was squirming on the floor yet, trying desperately to recognise Tiff as the also enraged woman being dragged away by her guard. Oh my...God... ! Kris took a tentative step backwards, suddenly unable to proceed any further into this hellish nightmare.  
"For God sake, help me!" Jason bellowed at Kris, causing her to jump and find her wits.  
"What? Who are these ... women?!" Kris cried out, trying to make sense of everything at once. But she was overwhelmed totally by the noise and pure raw emotion storming towards her.  
"Jesus, will ya help me out here?!" Jason was busy holding back a ferocious Tiffany who was struggling in his grasp like a cornered wildcat, as Sabrina now advanced with such unbridled menace on her would be killer, that Jason was now actually fearing for peoples lives.  
"Kris! KRIS! Do... something! Help her! Help your friend Godammit!" Jason bellowed once more. "I - I don't want to have to shoot anyone here dammit!"  
Friend? What...Who... who the hell did he mean? Kris's thoughts and intuition clicked quickly through their gears until finally ... with a barely cognisant reckoning on the scream uttered by the ..woman... the jigsaw clicked slickly...into place. Oh...my ...oh ..my...oh Jesus Christ...! Kris suddenly darted forward and sprang, cuffed and all, onto an unsuspecting Sabrina, knocking them both sprawling, winded, to the floor.  
Emily's legs felt wobbly. She could hear a lot of angry shouting and some nasty words, echoing down the corridor. She clamped her hands to her ears as she sat cross-legged on the stone floor, wishing with all her might that her mommy would swoop down any moment and gather her in her arms.  
"Mommy!" She sniffed, into the empty corridor. The noises were so loud! Why don't they stop? She suddenly remembered she was clutching the crumpled note in her hand. No! She still had to find that man! He would know where mommy was! He would, he would! She bravely pulled her hands from her ears and stood up, sniffing and wiping at her nose with the back of her hand. If she went where there were people... the man might be there! Emily took a few cautious steps back in the direction of all the noise, even though her heart beat so fast. She just wanted her mommy! The thought of a happy cuddle made her dart along the corridor in search of the man she knew would go find her mommy for her so she could have a big happy cuddle.  
She ran back to the place where all the noise was coming from and stood back, not daring ever ever to go near. It was too dark! There must be monsters in there! She began to sob. Where was she? She just couldn't see anyone! Where was the man...? What was his name? Oh what did the funny lady call him? She sobbed louder, with every passing moment, so terrified of all the bad noise and scared that she had lost... Ja - Jathen! Yes that was what she called him! Huh! She gulped back a few hiccups then called out to anyone who might hear.  
"Mommy-y-y-y! Ja-a-a-a-then? MOMMY! I WANT MY MOMMY!"  
Jason immediately heard the little girls' shout, even amid the excruciating noises still coming from Tiffany. He had managed to keep tight hold on her, but now Kris was struggling to hold Sabrina down with her wrists tethered. Jason blinked in surprise on hearing what he presumed to be Emily's voice coming from outside the cell.  
"Emily?!" He shouted back, over the voice of his struggling captive. Oh God no! It can't be! But his logic dictated otherwise.  
"Emily! Wait there! I'm coming sweetheart! Just STAY THERE!"  
Jason shouted back. He thought for a brief moment then decided there was nothing else for it. He pulled out his gun and, using the butt, cracked it across Tiffany's head, causing her to collapse to the floor immediately, and roll still. Somewhat satisfied yet highly agitated, he hurried over to Kris and Sabrina, undid Kris then slapped the cuffs on a now breathless and fading Sabrina. Then he made for the door to find the desperately terrified child staring at him with huge eyes, looking as though she would either run or fall over any second.  
He bent and lifted her into a quick embrace, feeling his shirt go wet with her tears.  
"Emily, Oh God Emily, what are you doing here, baby, huh? Where's your mom?!"  
He pulled her face away a little so he could get a good look at her. She was trying to stop crying and was bravely trying to gulp the tears back. He stroked her cheek to wipe away some of the wetness. Poor little thing! God!  
"You're...you're Jathen!" Emily sniffed out, and gave him the crumpled and now damp note she had faithfully carried to him. She had done it! She even managed a small shy smile for the nice man who had gave her a cuddle. Even though she still really really wanted her mommy.  
"Sure sweetheart, I'm Jason... what's this huh?" He took the paper, and shifted Emily into one arm while he untangled the note and read what was smudged there.  
"Oh Jeez...!" Jason uttered under his breath. He stood and thought for a moment, cursing under his breath. Then he turned and poked his head back into the cell, mindful of keeping Emily's eyes averted from the scene within.  
"Kris - can you manage Scar for now?" He spoke in softer tones, to keep his frightened little charge from yelling again.  
Kris looked back and nodded, grasping the situation, confusing though it was.  
"I'm gonna fetch Kelly...then we gotta get you all the hell outa here okay?"  
Then he was gone, hurrying with his precious little load back towards the upper level and towards Kelly, and some safety for Emily.

Kris, in a shocking, earth shattering moment of realisation froze, her hands tight around the womans wrists below her. They both stopped struggling and looked each other in the eye. Kris' hands shook and she let go, as if an electric jolt had emerged between them, burning, consuming, mortal. She pulled away, gasping for air, the only thing she could do.  
Sabrina remained on the floor. She could not get up if she wanted, anyway. Her last strength was wasted in the fight with Tiffany, and now Kris. Her hands went up to her throat and she rubbed gently at the bright red spots appearing there, that would later darken. She concentrated mostly on her breathing, as a last resort to give some life back to herself. And as she did so, the whole world, her whole existence started to painfully fade away, slipping between her fingers, now clutching life itself.  
Kris gazed once again to the person on the floor, wanting to run away, wanting to doubt, give up. This woman, this person, this thing, with the horrifically wounded and bloodied face could NOT be Sabrina Duncan.  
Not here, not now, not like this.  
She found herself trying to stutter some words but eventually gave up. She sunk on her knees and sat low on the ground. Everything was becoming too much now and she was too tired to accept, too tired to find something to hold onto, too tired to face the all embracing nightmare she had now been so relentlessly consumed by.  
She shut her eyes tight. The only thing that could reach her ears was the distant sound of waves. The feel of the cool water. It all shattered in pieces in the sound, the lone single sound of a faint whisper.  
''K- Kris?''  
She flicked her eyes open. She traced the long scar on the persons face with her eyes. She watched it part as her lips did. It was just a person. Not her friend. Not her. It could not be. The voice might be the same. The face might be the same, but no, the feeling she got, the feeling she got when they were not even ten inches apart, that feeling did not belong to Sabrina Duncan.  
It was fear. Pure, dark, evolving fear. There was not a single possibility Kris would experience that stark white red fear so close to a person she once trusted, loved, depended on.  
The same person she could count on, the same person she knew was coming when everything else failed. The person she felt so safe around. It could not be fear.  
Sabrina. Fear. Fear. Sabrina.  
"Kris...!''  
''What... what is going on...'' Kris whispered.  
A hand searched hers. She did not pull away. ''It's okay Kris... its all...okay.''  
The touch. That touch.  
It felt the same. It was the only thing that felt the same.  
Her mind finally turned back. A gun in her hands. She shot, she had shot someone. Hands wrapping around hers. Breaking, falling apart in someones arms.  
The touch. She held onto it.  
She remembered. She could remember now. Some tears slipped sneakily from under her closed eyelids. She opened them.  
''Oh my God Sabrina... oh my God...''  
The touch went cold. The hand limp. She pulled closer and patted slightly on Sabrina's cheek. It was wet, but there was no blood.  
''Please, Bri... please...''  
She heard Tiffany stir somewhere close. She decided not to push any of them. Only God knew what they both had been through. Only God knew how, or why had they been led to this situation. But along with some recognition of the dire circumstances, another feeling now crept over Kris. Something else was bubbling up through her insides. She glanced across towards the incomprehensible sounds Tiff was making, then stood, gently picked her way around her long-absent colleague and sat back down between these two dear friends, better able to keep her weary eyes on both of them. And then quite suddenly, the feeling solidified and became crystal clear within her. With a wrench of her gut, Kris was now acutely and avengefully aware that it was more than about time for the Angels to retrieve their clipped wings.


	12. Chapter 12

_Don't worry people, we're not going to leave this unfinished. It just takes time. Please review and tell us what you think. See you on the next chapter. Till then ;)  
LK_

* * *

Kelly fought back the nausea rising from her gut for the hundredth time. She just could not afford that weakness right now. Far too much was at stake. Hell, their lives, all of them, were at stake! And what about the little girl? Come on, come on Kelly please, try to keep it together! She gulped down the oppressive fear which was also threatening her sanity, and held an ear to the door. Helen had returned to make some phone calls and seemingly neglected to recall that she had a prisoner locked away not too many feet away from her desk. Kelly had overheard some extremely disturbing information from Helens part of her conversations. Kelly now at least... had something to go on. What the hell this place was all about... some kind of notion as to what this hell hole was all about. She breathed in and out quietly, trying to keep calm as she listened intently for any further information. But it seemed that Helen was, for the moment, done with making phone calls. She heard the chair scrape back and Helens soft footfalls crossed the room.

"Emily? Emily, where are you, my darling?!" Kelly heard Helen mutter to herself.

Well with any luck, Kelly crossed her fingers at the thought, she's away from you and looking for the good guy!

Then she heard the sounds of a door opening and thought that Helen was leaving. She held her breath. But no wait... the sounds of this door were too close... Kelly realised then that this door was not the office door but yet a door leading to another room adjoining the office. Emily's room? Emily's - what? Play room? Kelly's line of thought took her back to when she first realised the little girls presence and how she had come to appear in the office like that. Now more and more things were beginning to slide into place. This awful, desperate woman! And... oh God... with... with Sabrina's own child! Kelly closed her eyes in the dark against the tragic truth that was constantly needling her mind like some B movie sci-fi laser scalpel.

"Emily? Emily!" Helen was now calling out in worried tones, unable to find the precious child. Then, as Kelly fought against her own acutely paralysing and fear wrought emotions, she also became aware of the fear now echoed in Helens own voice as she sought out, and was unable to find, the little girl Emily. Kelly's breathing became more and more rapid as she heard Helen cross the room again and open another door. And this time, Helens footsteps passed away from Kelly and then the door closed. A faint echo of receding footsteps followed...and then all was still.

In that instant, Kelly was aware of at least two possibly positive things. One... Emily was hopefully bumping into Jason somewhere and two... Helen had, for the moment, completely forgotten all about Kelly being shut in the cupboard. These two positives sat well with Kelly right now, even though her breathing told her otherwise.

He could feel his breath come in and out of his lungs, forced from the intense effort to run up the stairs. The scared child in his arms had now stopped crying and was leaning on his shoulder. As his footsteps echoed and were consumed by the damp silence he finally was there.

He was very self conscious of the note in his pocket. It burdened him like a rock. He always knew something was unbearably wrong. But he had no idea until now. Something deep inside him made him trust Kelly more than his own boss. And that was because he had so many things to tell her, but not just yet. They would have time later.

After all it wasn't hard to guess that Miss Chambers was not in the best of her mind.

He knocked the door and as he took no response her kicked it open. He bent down and left a sleeping Emily on the floor. As he looked around he noticed the bookcase described in Kelly's note. He grabbed it and pushed it aside. The muscles in his hands trembled and the bookcase fell on its side. He stood still a bit and scratched his chin, wondering if there had been an easier way to get it out of the way.

In his years there he had seen many people hurt, he had seen and caused pain countless times, but now, something in him screamed as he saw Kelly lying motionless. He clenched and unclenched his fists as he knelt next to her.

He was afraid to touch her but she stirred on her own and opened her eyes. Her hand touched her forehead and she let out a small sigh. Her vision was blurred and she could tell she might have a minor concussion.

He wrapped his hands around her waist and slowly supported her to her feet.

''Can you please tell me what is going on here?'' he asked in a low voice, looking around for Helen.

''Not... not now... Jason...'' she shielded her eyes from the light. ''Where is Emily?''

Jason turned his head back. ''She... she was there a moment ago...''

As Kris listened, the incoherent mutterings from Tiff seemed to die down and finally, thankfully, she became silent apart from some heavy sighs. She had tried to talk to Tiff as she sat next to Sabrina, holding her hand, but Tiffany had completely ignored anything Kris had said. Or not even heard her. Kris decided it was likely to be the latter. So she waited it out. Now it seemed a good idea to try again.

"Tiff? Tiffany?" There was a sudden flurry of movement from Tiff, and Kris jumped herself, startled. Now Tiffany was gasping... in fright?

"Hey Tiff... please... Tiffany?" Kris softened her voice.

"It's me - it's Kris... it's okay huh? Listen to me... there's nothing to be scared of, " Kris tried to assure her seemingly badly frightened colleague, "listen to my voice... it's just me - okay?"

Kris then laid Sabrina's hand back to her stomach and was about to get up to see to Tifffany but Sabrina caught her arm.

"Wait..." A hoarse whisper also caught Kris's attention. "Tiffany... she's... not...she's been... " Sabrina tried to find the words to describe Tiff's current condition.

"...I'm ... I... where... am ...I..." a frail voice interrupted Sabrina's indecision.

"Ah jeez Tiff... ? Oh my God... Kris...?" Sabrina let go of Kris's arm and then Kris was up and at Tiffany's side in a moment. Tiffany had her face in her hands and her shoulders were trembling. Kris realised with a twist to her stomach that Tiffany was weeping, almost silently, save for tiny giveaway sounds.

"Oh my God, Tiffany... what the hell..." She pulled Tiffany to her and embraced her ... hoping she wasn't worsening any injury, yet wanting to hug her so tightly.

"Shhh, Tiff, it's going to be alright, we're going to get out of here...oh my God what happened to you huh...?" Kris held Tiffany close, stroking her hair, feeling the clamminess of her skin... her dishevelled hair and clothing... and then without warning ... a flashback. Another prison, another time, another terrorised inmate...only that time it was... it was...

Kris shuddered as memories flashed up. She mentally shook them away though. Now was not the time for reminiscing over the good old days! Then she felt Tiffany's shoulders begin to relax a little and the weeping was now, she realised, dissolving into emotion fuelled gasps and heaving sighs.

Sabrina cursed into the relentless gloom of the darkness she almost without hope, gave herself up to. But now she had two colleagues to hold on to. One of whom...she knew without doubt...she could trust with her life. The other...she suspected...in time...she could do the same.

"Hey...!" She moaned out more loudly, badly needing to attract Kris's attention at least.

"Bri!" Kris called back over her shoulder. Kris manoeuvred herself so that she could support Tiffany yet, allow her voice to travel back towards her struggling former colleague whom, she now understood, was without doubt, in desperate need of medical attention. Kris then checked herself.

Hell. Weren't they all, for Heavens sake?

"Sabrina... Bri..." Kris called back again. "Can you move at all?"

A low chuckle...which almost presented itself as a low growl... echoed across from Sabrina's location.

"Don't ... make me ...laugh..."

Kris knew Sabrina's serious tones. And immediately recognised her sarcasm as such.

"Okay okay...Bri...just hang tight there okay?" Kris now switched her attention back to Tiffany. How the hell was she going to cope with this now? Kris swallowed a lump of fear... and snapped her mind to the most pressing concern.

Tiffany could hardly even recognise the face that loomed right in front of her. Yet for some reason, she understood that this person at least, harboured no threat towards her. She still felt ... defenceless and ... yes...somewhat threatened. But not by the person who now was trying to talk to her. Tiff tried with all her might to focus her attention on what the woman was now saying to her. Yet, even as she held her gaze, Tiff felt more hot tears prick behind her eyes. No! She needed to try and concentrate! She shook her head to try and clear it. Oh God, everything was just still so... dark! She raised her eyes again to Kris... wanting so much to connect with her and...see a connection in the eyes of an ally.

Kris had Tiffany by the shoulders. She stepped up close to be only inches from Tiffany's face. She needed to find ...something..some kind of light... some kind of recognition...in her friends eyes now. The low lighting from the corridor was only of minimal value, yet... it thankfully was enough to see by.

"Tiffany... Tiff! C'mon... I need you ... here...now! Please?"

Kris implored, staring deep into Tiffany's eyes, she thought she saw something then. A tiny dance of something apart from the dull and lifeless eyes of... the lost?

"Oh c'mon Tiff...you can do it! It's me... Kris! I'm here! Come on... shake a leg, huh?!"

Kris aimed a light humorous poke. Would it hit the mark?

Again... a flicker of something? Tiffany then blinked rapidly and attempted to shuffle backwards a little, but Kris held on. Even squeezed her shoulders a little.

"Hey, don't back away Tiff... come on, look at me! I'm right here! I'm not going to leave you okay? We're getting out of here, all of us... are you listening?" She lightly shook Tiffany then, and was immensely relieved to see Tiffany raise her head and look as though she was making every effort to shake herself back to reality.

"K-Kris?" Tiffany finally whispered. The incredulity in her voice was unmistakable. So was the fear.

"Yes! Yes it's me! Now Come on Tiff can you support yourself? I really need you now." Kris attempted to divert Tiff's attention away from herself, for now, so that maybe, just maybe, they could all get out this stinking place. And to do that, she desperately needed Tiffany with some wits about her.

"Ugh.. I - I think so..." Tiffany muttered, totally unsure of anything at all right then. But she heard the urgency in Kris's voice and raised herself from the slouch she had succumbed to. Kris looked up as Tiff, with a groan, pushed herself up to her full height, and she felt a little warm spear of pride wing through her heart.

"Attagirl! Now, over here, help me with Bri!" Kris stepped away towards Sabrina, who had been listening approvingly from the floor. She hoped to God Tiff had enough will power and resilience now, to keep going, to give herself and Bri the support they both acutely needed.

She reached Sabrina, purposefully not looking back over her shoulder to Tiff until she had crouched down. Then she looked back and was again relieved to see a determined Tiff crouching down beside her and looking like she was definitely more in control. She just hoped to God it would last...long enough.

"Sabrina..." Kris put a hand on Bri's shoulder. "We... we got Tiff back!" She smiled. Sabrina arched one eyebrow.

"I can see that. Now what?" Although Sabrina knew exactly ..."now what". She allowed Kris to take charge though, because she had neither the energy or the wherewith all.

"I'm sorry Bri... I know...you know this is going to hurt worse than hell - but..."

"...Yeah I know - we gotta move." Sabrina knew to the n-th degree how much her stiffened limbs and torso were going to shriek with incredible agony at the onslaught of strenuous movement. Yet - what choice did she have? She took a deep breath and let it out with difficulty.

"So let's get this cronk to the scrapyard huh?!"

Tiffany stood and stepped to the other side and positioned herself, ready to take as much of Sabrina's weight as possible, on the lift. She decided to keep quiet for now. In all honesty, she didn't really trust the babbling that might spring forth from her tornado'd mind. It was all she could do right now to focus every single part of herself - to force every single part of herself - to cling on to the here and now, and help them all out of this.

"Okay Bri - Tiff - on three." Kris looked over to check they were set. Tiff nodded grimly.

"Okay...one - two..."

Kris and Tiffany grappled an apparently unthankful Sabrina to her feet on the shout of three.

"Keep moving!" Kris gasped, and propelled her load forward. "Move move MOVE! Go go! We're getting OUT!"

They all moved with some considerable momentum across the floor, Sabrina cursing a blue streak all the way. In fact, Kris faintly acknowledged to herself as they passed through the cell doorway, she didn't think she had heard Bri swear so badly since that day they both lost Kelly in a pub parking lot after they were hired by that country singer to find her husband... the memory flickered in her dazed mind briefly... Almost a hundred years ago now, it seemed. She then felt Sabrina begin to buckle, beside her.

"NO! Goddam it Bri! You have to keep moving!" She yelled, not caring now about guards. Paradoxically, the threat of guards were only secondary to the need to keep Sabrina on her feet. Kris made a mental note to self: See a shrink when this is all over.

"Kris!" Tiffany finally found some reason. "Where the hell are we going?!"

"Just - keep moving - towards - the upper levels!" Kris felt her own muscles begin to tremble now. Sabrina was a lightweight for sure - but she was tall. And Kris herself was beginning to feel the strain.

"Tiff!" Kris barked, knowing her emotions were cracking now. "For Gods sake, take some of the load! I can't do this on my own!"

"What do you THINK I'm doing?!" Tifffany retaliated, but then immediately hoisted more of Bri's weight her way. They progressed as quickly as they could down the dimly lit corridor, now sweating despite the damp atmosphere. They turned a corner only to be confronted with another gloomy long corridor, yet this one was devoid of cell doors. A good sign? Kris hoped with all her might. She felt the sweat trickle easily down her spine, her overly loose prison shirt doing nothing to absorb it, as she and Tiff pulled her friend onwards. But she knew she could not keep this pace up. Oh boy, why did she have to be this... petite?! She clenched her jaw and gritted her teeth even more, as they all stumbled towards the end of the featureless corridor, Sabrina's cursing finally dying down, to be replaced by a more normal focus on breathing.

The change of pace was actually having a positive effect on her, Sabrina realised, even as the pain continually proceeded to shock and batter her nerves, it also managed to heighten her senses. And right now, she sensed Kris was on her last legs. Once again, from somewhere deep inside herself, Bri rediscovered that core of energy which - she never thought she would find or tap into again. She began to breathe more steadily and took some of her weight away from Kris, bringing her arm around Kris's waist, and off from over her smaller colleagues' shoulder.

Kris, her own breathing now audibly coming in short sharp gasps, glanced up to see Sabrina looking pained and hurting in the extreme, but seeming more alert. Sabrina looked over at Kris as they reached the end of the corridor, and attempted a smile.

"It's okay - lanky here's, got me!" She inclined her head to her left, to Tiffany, who had an iron-like grip of support on Sabrina. And and iron-like expression to match, Kris decided, with some trepidation. But for now, she went with the flow. Whatever works... She gladly accepted and relished Sabrina's own little show of support... for now.

Helen felt her pulse throb in her head to the crazed rhythm of her leaps.

Her heart raced, faster that it ever had during the last year. For the first time, something she wanted - no, loved - was at stake.

Emily.

Where was she?

Now, thinking clearer, she realised the last time she saw her was after she locked this intruder in the hidden room behind her bookcase. After that, she now remembered she left her there, in her room, occupied with some plastic toys. Then, step by step as she recalled, she had turned back, closed the door and left a small crack from where she had watched her play happily for a few minutes. Then, pleased, she had shut the door quietly and left the office, heading to the laboratories.

Rose's body had been removed the day before, and had been buried by a couple of Helen's cohorts.

What nobody knew was that when a prisoner went inside this building they automatically became erased from the outside world. And soon their death was announced as an accident to the papers. They were faceless, nameless, nothing but a number jotted down on Helen's notepad, with her neat and tidy handwriting. Their only identity was their numbers, embroidered with stark, matter-of-fact letters.

Yet for Helen, they were nothing else but numbers. Each one of them was a number, a percentage closer to a cure. A cure that, as she chose to see, was not only her cure but the worlds too. An incurable and fatal disease, a degenerative neurological disorder that makes the brain tissue take on a sponge-like texture.

Helen had read pretty much all there was to read regarding her condition. Some scientific points still sat in her memory like undigested food: Due to Prion protein, misfolded, which replicates by converting its properly folded counterparts...

To her the first symptoms were temporary memory loss and the mild hallucinations.

She had tried to push the thought away, blame it on sleep deprivation, on bad diet, but the evidence was still there, and she was a doctor. She would not ignore it.

She stopped to breathe as her legs wouldn't keep up with her anymore. Her left knee jerked up causing her to stumble.

Oh my God not now. Not spasms now... no no she had to find Emily first... no!

She paused to bend and comfort herself from a coughing crisis. Stress only made things worse. She allowed some time to pass and allow her heart to stop beating crazily.

She had started this hopeless research some years ago with no help from the government, when she found Rose, a medical student willing to work with her, thirsty for knowledge as much as she was. A person who shared her passion for truth and believed the medium to reach it - was truth.

Working late hours, sometimes until dawn they had made some progress until someone found out they were using the hospital lab for their research, and ontop of that, they were using live subjects.

Leaving everything behind, Helen was again back at square zero. Rose was the one who kept her going ,the one who eased every crisis, the one who pushed her on, helped her along the way. But of course she too found the prison idea insane. And even more, she found the idea, oh my God she found it evil.

And now she was dead.

Maybe it was evil. Maybe she herself was evil, Helen thought.

She pushed herself back to her feet. Nothing mattered now, she just had to find her little girl. She had to find Emily. Was this a child's voice she heard? There in the dark unwelcome corridor? Was it Emily trapped in the monstrous building Helen had modified to keep people in?

And people out, she thought.

It had to be her.

Kris was the first to hear it. A faint sound of light footsteps somewhere up ahead. She strained her hearing over the noise herself, Bri and Tiff were making as they stumbled along towards - hopefully towards freedom.

She wanted to bring the group to a halt, to ascertain any threat, but decided against it. If She stopped Sabrina and Tiffany now, it was highly unlikely they would be able to pick themselves up again. So she decided that forward momentum was the best choice right now. And the footsteps - running footsteps, she could discern now, were getting closer. It was all or nothing. Kris readied herself for whatever came next.

She wanted to bring the group to a halt, to ascertain any threat, but decided against it. If She stopped Sabrina and Tiffany now, it was highly unlikely they would be able to pick themselves up again. So she decided that forward momentum was the best choice right now. And the footsteps - running footsteps, she could discern now, were getting closer. It was all or nothing. Kris readied herself for whatever came next.

But in the next moment, the patter stopped abruptly. Kris again strained her hearing and this time, Sabrina noticed.

"What?!" She panted, next to Kris. "Kris, what is it?"

"Shh! I'm trying to listen...!" Kris tried to keep her voice level next to Sabrina. But the effort was too much. It came out almost in a shout.

"Okay, stop!" Sabrina herself tried to halt their progress, but Kris spurred them all on.

"No dammit! Keep going! We - have to - keep going!" Kris dragged at Sabrina's arm, but it was no good. Sabrina had now stopped to listen to what had spooked Kris, and Tiffany, at the far side of Sabrina, had stopped also. But with no comment whatsoever.

Then all three women gasped as Emily immerged from the shadows ahead, her face glistening with tears, wisps of hair sticking around her pale cheeks.

"Oh my God...! What the ...?" She remembered her speech in front of the little girl, just in time. Quite obviously the same little girl she had glimpsed from the cell a while back. Just what the freakin' Hell else was going on in this... this God awful place, for a little CHILD to be running around loose down here?! Nightmares within nightmares within nightmares... Kris shook her head, as if to try and shake away the image of the girl. But nope - there she still was...

Emily herself, stood stock still, her eyes going wide on seeing the three bedraggled women blocking her way. Kris slowly let go of Sabrina and began to crouch to the floor. She was dumbfounded . Oh my God, oh my God... she repeated to herself.

"Hey, sweetheart!" Kris then called softly and held out her arm in a friendly gesture... she hoped. sweet Jeez...

Emily's eyes widened even more. Mommy wasn't here... she just... wasn't anywhere! No-one was going to be her friend now... She backed away from the group, back to where she had just come from.

Suddenly Sabrina sunk to her knees beside Kris. Tiffany remained upright, allowing Sabrina to slide from her grasp, now unable to hold on to whatever tangible familiarity she could.

Kris, once more aware of Sabrina, now snagged Bri's arm, feeling that she maybe was about to tip forward in exhaustion. But when she grasped her forearm, she found bunched and trembling muscles there. She glanced at her friend. And once again was shocked at Bri's countenance. Now what the hell? In that swift glance, she read more than just the reaction of the moment Kris herself had felt. She knew it. But - whatever emotions were now playing across Sabrina's face - she could not - almost did not - want to determine. Instead, Kris returned her attention back to the little girl. Who was by now almost engulfed again by the shadows.

"Hey... hey!" Kris called out, once more.

"It's all right! We're not going to hurt you!" She was just about to stand and take a small step towards the girl when more footsteps were heard. This time, they were hurried, loud, staccato. And they were coming fast. She stood anyway. Sabrina remained kneeling, her whole being, it seemed, focussed on the girl who was shrinking away from them.

Kris could feel panic rising, felt her heart begin to race. Not for the first time this day.. she thought, with some familiar dread.

Oh please please, someone just give us all a break here, please! She begged within herself. But she knew instinctively, as the harsh sounding clacking of heels became all too clearer, louder, that a break was definitely not coming their way right now. Only more hellish damn crap was about to hit their fan right now. She watched, her hand gripping tight on Sabrina's shoulder, as someone strode almost into full view, then stopped short, right behind the girl.

"Emily!" She heard the figure call out the girls name in a tone of some relief. And in that same instant, Sabrina was off her knees like an athlete from the starting line, just as if a gun had actually been fired in that moment, hurtling her way towards the figure, before Kris could even acknowledge the empty space under her hand.

"Bri!" Kris yelled in full alarm , hearing Bri's howl of pain at the same time. She shot forward herself and almost recoiled in horror as she saw Sabrina had stormed the woman against a wall and, with her hands gripped around her throat, was trying literally to squeeze the life from her. Kris leapt into action and barrelled herself at her friend, intending to knock her off her feet and away from her victim.

"For Gods sake..." She yelled, as she barged full force into Sabrina "... STOP IT!" She shrieked in terror. She succeeded in knocking Bri away from the now gagging and falling figure.

"STOP IT! - Just stop it Bri! - Quit it right - NOW! PLEASE!" Kris pushed a weakened yet still crazed Bri backwards, every push punctuated with her shouted words. Then Emily, who had been rooted to the spot in abject terror at seeing her mommy attacked, suddenly could hold her own fright back no longer. A terrible shrill scream hit everyone's ears simultaneously and quite suddenly, everyone in the corridor was stunned into silence, and became still. Almost like shadows themselves, captured still-life, in some kind of silhouette of madness.

Then the moment was past. Kris threw a nerve-wrecked glance over her shoulder at Tiffany, as Emily screamed, wondering if she could expect any help from her. But that glance gave her all the information she needed. The mess that was now Tiffany was going to need all the help she could get... Kris stood her ground over Sabrina, breathing hard, wanting to scream herself, to let herself lose her tenuous grip, as Emily's screams persisted and echoed incessantly, shrieking inside her own head.


	13. Chapter 13

YES I KNOW! It took us long enuff dont ya think?! But we're finally here, a nice long chapter on Christmas day just for our readers. Sorry but life tends to get in the way in the most inappropriate times. Please hang on with us because there has just been a brand new twist here neither of us had expected and we're hoping you will like what you read. Be nice and leave us a review, just to let us know what you think or at least that folk are still reading out here. Have a nice week folks!

LAeyeball & LK -

Oh god oh God oh god... Kris's mind whirled. If she ever needed some back up ever in her life, it was RIGHT NOW dammit! Please ...! Just where the hell, was... Then she froze. More footsteps. Running, coming fast. She looked around. Three people came running around the darkened corner from Helens previous direction, then nearly collided with the party already there.  
"Kelly?!" Kris muttered in disbelief. Then she saw Jason and another guard. She didn't care who was who right now. Kelly was here - with a little light cavalry.  
"Oh God Kelly! Quick..." But she didn't even need to say anything, as Kelly swiftly took everything in and swooped over to Emily, gathering her up in her arms without even the slightest pause. She then turned to Jason.  
"Jason! Get Tiffany!" Kelly snapped out the order. He, in turn, gave an order to his colleague to see to Helen, before moving quickly over to Tiffany, as Kelly tried to soothe a still crying and sobbing Emily, tried to talk softly, tried to calm her with soothing tones and words. But she knew in her heart it would take a lot, lot more. She gave Kris a worried and apologetic look over her shoulder, and she began to walk back into the shadows, Emily held tightly to her body. Kris needed no words.  
"Go, Kelly! Get her out of here! Go! We're right behind you!" She yelled. Kelly picked up the pace then disappeared from Kris's view. Kris heard her friends footsteps recede, shot a quick look over to Jason, trying to snap his fingers at Tiff, then turned her attention back to Sabrina. She crouched to the ground, as she realised that, finally, God, hopefully, all the fight had really left Bri now. It was nothing short of a miracle that she had fought this far. Now, her watery gaze took in ... a broken and helpless looking woman. It made Kris's heart ache so much. But they still had to get out of the place. She sucked in a deep breath and let it out slowly, to try calm her own battered nerves.  
Helens own soft sobs echoed across the corridor, as the guard gently cuffed her then sat down nearby, his pistol trained on her. His grim expression needed no interpretation. Kris was utterly thankful Jason had the presence of mind to bring some reinforcement. She looked at Bri's terribly scarred face as she listened to the sobs from behind her. No, not even these sounds were arousing Bri, it seemed. She crept closer.  
"Bri?" She almost whispered. "Bri, can you hear me?" She gently took hold of her hand. So very cold.  
"Sabrina, please? Can you hear me, it's Kris... we're getting out of here... right now!" Kris's voice became louder as she uttered each word. She leaned in and patted Bri's cheek. Again, too cold. Too wrong. All so badly...wrong.  
"I need you to wake up, dammit! Sabrina! Wake up! Please!" Kris was so close to tears for the thousandth time it felt, but she gritted her teeth. She had to - had to keep it together.  
"Can't..."  
Kris let out a gasp.  
"What? Bri? Sabrina? Oh my God... Bri talk to me!"  
She began to rub Sabrina's hand, let her feel some kind of warmth... then again, she saw Bri's lips move and a word sigh out.  
"Can't..." Came the whisper.  
"Okay Bri! It's alright! I know!" She looked over to see Jason with Tiff. He had sat her down on the floor. Bad move. She needed to stay on her feet. Too bad.  
"Jason... I need you to get Bri here. I'll get Tiff. Swap you okay?"  
Jason looked over, patted Tiffany's shoulder then left her and stepped over to Kris.  
"Okay, she's out of it Jason. Really..." Her heart stung. "...really out of it now. Please, will you be very careful with her?"  
He nodded his understanding.  
"Sure. Okay Marty, we're leaving. Bring the Guh..." Jason was about to use the tag he always did, but then changed his mind.  
"Bring Chambers."  
Kris now crouched down in front of Tiffany and was relieved to see that actually... she appeared to be a little more focussed. A little more luck was all she needed. Just a little more. Then they would all be out, home and dry. She lightly patted her shoulder, watching the response.  
"Hey Tiff! How ya doin' kiddo?" It felt a comfort somehow, to use their favourite endearment.  
Tiffany's eyes flickered. She was almost as pale as Bri, Kris saw.  
"Sick..." Tiffany spoke, and looked at Kris.  
"I feel... really... really ... sick..." She said, and Kris could see her adams apple bobbing away. Oh... not so fast Tiff... not just yet...  
"Alright... well... first you got to stand up and walk with me outside..." Kris then looped her arm around Tiff's waist and began to lift gently.  
"Come on Tiff. We ... gotta go..." She levered an unwilling Tiffany off the floor.  
"Get you outside, into the fresh air... huh?"  
Then you can throw up all you want, she thought to herself tiredly. But just... not now. Finally Tiffany was up.  
"Okay hero - lead the way!" She even managed a joke over to Jason, who was already standing with a rag-doll Sabrina in his arms. The other guard gave Helen no preamble as he then grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her, still weeping, to her feet. Kris had very little sympathy left. Very little patience. Or energy. Or very little anything. Just enough to walk out of there. Please?  
The journey to the entrance of the compound was excruciating. Tiffany had thrown up twice en route, yet Kris could not afford her any comfort whatsoever, and had grimly almost dragged her poor colleague onwards, giving Tiffany no respite whatsoever.  
Sabrina was unconscious once more, in Jasons' arms, and for this, Kris was eternally grateful. There was no way on this earth she would have found one more iota of strength to keep Sabrina from once more, flying fully enraged, towards her long time aggressor.

A full moon now shone, seemingly speculative, on the driveway and imposing, impregnable entrance doors to the prison. Then, a barely noticeable slice of shadow disrupted the flat featureless facade of the entrance, and a small group of people crept silently into the driveway.  
All but two.  
Helen hung back, feigning a sense of dopey unawareness, but deftly removed the gun from her surprised guards holster, just as they both cleared the doors.  
"What the...?" The guard whirled around, but it was too late. Helen Chambers had regained some little control yet, over her destiny.  
She fired the gun, with her hands tethered together, and before Kris or Jason were aware of anything, Marty dropped dead at her feet.  
Jason, still holding Sabrina in his arms, could only watch in anguish as his colleague and friend toppled to the ground before him. Then he reacted in anger, almost dropping Sabrina with one arm, whilst he reached for his own gun with the other.  
"NO!" Kris called out. "Wait!"  
Helen had Sabrina in her sights, her next intention plainly obvious in the all too exascerbatingly bright moonlight.  
"One more move from anyone..." Helen now snarled at all of those who had somehow, suddenly become her jailers...  
"... and I will send ... that pathetic bitch to hell!" She spat, directing the gun straight at Sabrina now, feeling pure hatred and revolt even more so, now, for the scarred, maimed and useless person that was once...upon a time... the mother of her child.  
Emily? Helens mind suddenly jerked away from the scene before her... Emily? Oh... Emily? Where...? She began to gaze around, peering into the shadows, trying to pick out any little form, her mind trying to conjure up her beloved daughter before her very eyes.  
Jason saw his bosses ambivalence and one again reached for his weapon.  
Sabrina stirred, and slipped from Jasons grasp as he now fully focussed on taking Helen down.  
Kris knew exactly what was coming.  
"Jason ...NO PLEASE!" She shrieked.  
And in the heartbeat that followed, Sabrina was helpless, unprotected and exposed. Before Jason could level his own gun, Helen had already fired.  
And even before Jason himself could react, Helen had disappeared like lightening back behind the huge doors and was proceeding to lock herself into her own prison. The clang of bullets ricocheting inneffectually off the steel plated doors tore through the crisp evening air, as Jason emptied his pistol pointlessly at them.

Further up the driveway, at the prison compound gates, the shots froze Kelly in her tracks. Her head spun round back down the driveway, the pounding of her heart hitching up yet another notch. Emily's crying had subsided to awful little sobs, but the sudden noise made her jump in Kelly's arms, and the shocked little girl let out another fright fuelled wail. Kelly's nerves couldn't take much more. She quickly re-assessed things. She now had four or five other guards and some straggling prisoners filing out of the gates, prison vehicles waiting to take them to safety. She desperately needed to know what the hell was happening back there... but what the hell to do with this scared-to-death little bundle in her arms?  
She took a risk... a very big one. She hoped to God she was doing the right thing...  
"Hey!" She called out towards the group. Only the guards turned, the prisoners seemed lost in their own little worlds.  
"Which one of you guys have a family?"  
The guards gave each other quizzical looks, but then a middle aged and greying man stepped back towards Kelly, understanding her intentions.  
"I have, ma'am - I got three teenagers and a lil' young un!" He smiled awkwardly and held his arms out. "Here... I'll make sure she's safe, don't you worry..."  
Kelly eyed him with caution, but her heart seemed to find something she could trust in the man. Even if he had worked the prison, it seemed that he, along with most of the other guards, had been very unhappy in their work. She sighed, and pulled the still wailing Emily away from her shoulder.  
"Hey hey kiddo, sshhh now... you're going to be okay! Mr...?" She gave the guard a quick questioning look.  
"Just Bob will do fine ma'am..." He said softly.  
"Okay, Bob here's going to take you somewhere really nice, and warm... and ..."  
Emily set up her plaintive crying once more, and even though it almost made her weep, Kelly gently but firmly extricated herself from Emily's worried grasp and handed her over to Bob, who winked, and took control immediately. He flipped his head in the direction of the prison, in a gesture for Kelly to get going. Then he was off, away out the gates, consoling a frantic Emily as he went. Jeez, please God I made the right choice! She watched for one more second, trying to convince herself, then she turned and raced back down to the prison, back to God only knew what else was waiting for her there. She now dedicated her last strength, emotionally and physically to running to where the shooting had been heard and to where two upright figures were standing in motion and turmoil.  
She heard a familiar voice, Kris' yelling something... her voice breaking, then dropping on her knees, unable to stay up. As Kris' more slender figure sunk low, Jason's stood even more in alert, gun in hand, shooting at something with menace. When his round was finished he just stood there, gun-hand dropping to his side lifeless. Kelly stopped and clutched her aching chest. Where was Sabrina? Her wheezing breath came painfully out of her throat. She had to pause. She could not take the stress and pain anymore. And God her head ached terribly. She shook her head up abruptly. She could not afford to stop now. She had to move, move, move, she had to atone for everything, silence everything that yelled and shrieked in her head mercilessly.  
Though she just wanted to drop on the ground, she just wanted everything to stop hurting, Kelly bit into her lip and her head seemed to clear a little. The pale full moon was casting long dark shadows on everything, showering them with a sickly blue shade.  
All Kelly wanted to do was bend over and throw up. Then curl into herself and stop feeling. As she approached, she was aware of her limbs trembling, slowly and painfully aware of losing the feeling of her hands. Was it the cold? Was it the pain? Was it her throbbing head? The stress that made her heart pump faster than ever? She honestly did not know. The only thing she knew was that her heart almost stopped once she faced the motionless bundle lying on one side, down on the cold dirt. And the shadowly forrm appeared to spring to life, jerking in all directions, only to go silent a minute after.  
Next to the figure, was Kris, lying face up, a cold expression on her face, displaying no emotion. Kelly wasn't immediately certain of who to offer her attention towards, first. But it was only after a few seconds that she saw no small amount of blood, pooling now around the mess that was supposed to be Sabrina Duncan. And then it all linked in her head. The shooting. Oh my God... no! She knelt next to her and turned her face upwards. ''No no no Bri no not now please!'' She lowered her head and she felt Bri's unsteady breath brush against her cheek.  
''I'm... not...'' she choked. Kelly's eyes opened wide. ''What are you talking about Bri? Its me , it's just me, Kelly, we're gonna make it, come on now huh?!'' She turned to Jason, who now was sitting on the ground, face dropped in his open palms, realisation of his own actions, and his own life hitting him with immense force.  
''Jason call an ambulance! NOW dammit!''  
Kelly swallowed hard and focused on Sabrina, who was visibly trying to say something. ''Kell... Kelly...'' "Shhh don't talk, don't talk okay..?!'' She dreaded what she was witnessing, as the little colour left her friends face and more warm blood coming out of somewhere stained Kelly's uniform.  
''Listen... to... me ...'' Kelly bit her already bruised lip watching the effort Sabrina was making to talk. ''I'm listening...What is it Bri?''  
''Emily...'' she whispered and stopped. "Emily is fine, she is safe, she is waiting for you...she is waiting for you Bri... you can make up for the time you lost... you can do it Bri... fight... please..''  
''Emily... please... take care of Emily...''  
''What are you talking about?'' Kelly gasped.  
''Please.. they... they killed... she... she killed David...I...'' she paused and stirred, for the first time opening her eyes allowing tears to escape. ''Please... take care...of Emily...''  
''But...''  
''Game Over Kell...''  
She placed her hands around Kelly's waist, half pulling her into a hug, and Kelly could not tell at what point she couldn't feel the rise and fall of her chest anymore.  
She lowered her onto the ground, checking one more time for her pulse, as an unwelcome patter of rain began to fall on her shoulders.

Semi darkness. Not too light, nor too dark. She preferred the gloom. Working under cover of ... darkness... it always seemed to be her mode of operandum. Likely - it would be her last. She walked slowly, purposefully away from the locked doors, knowing that it would take... more than the local police force to take those doors down. She had, at least, bought herself a little more time. She walked on, her heels clacking in time to her slowing heartbeat. Even if they sent in the odd helicopter, she reasoned, their purpose by then, would be ... at best... academical...  
Her goals, her dreams, her all consuming aim in recent years had now began to dissolve around her, like a work of art suddenly exposed to a downpour. The colours, the outlines, the powerful image she had patiently worked at all this time... now blurred into an ugly mess. They had Emily. Emily... her one light... her one shining star that kept her going every day... had just been ripped away from her! The star had winked out. Nothing now but blackness. Empty, cold, a yawning chasm of deep deep blackness. Not even tears could run from this place. Down. Down was where she needed to go now. Rose was dead. In a fit of anger, she had killed her only true ally. No one left to blame but herself. She quickened her pace suddenly - the torment of her innermost feelings proving too much.

Blinking up at a clouding sky beginning to twink through with tiny stars, Tiffany once again forced herself from a seemingly permanent daze, and forced herself to stand. Since emerging from the prison into the gloom of dusk, she had detached herself from a distraught Kris, and found a small dark corner in which to relieve her stomach of its' contents. After heaving for several minutes, she had attempted to make it back to the group, but once again, her badly wrecked balance had let her down. She had rapidly keeled over and lain for some minutes, on her unable to rise, as the world spun way too fast. Yet even through her own distress she had heard the rapid fire of gunshot, and her mind whirled crazily with frightening thoughts of what the hell else now was going on. She heard Kelly shout in anguish for an ambulance, and was now desperately trying to rejoin her companions.

Kelly. The only light in the darkness that threatened to swallow her now was Kelly's voice, slicing white through pain and dizziness. Little flakes of the world upon the jet black that kept pushing her eyes to close.  
As reality started to come back for her, like an old tape, darkening and then lightening up again every moment,Tiffany pushed herself up, slowly painfully for one more time and it felt like she was pushing the whole earth instead. Inside her head she heard her own heartbeat along with small bits of other noises. She groaned and lifted her head up, wheezing. Kelly... she could hear Kelly... Kelly was okay... alive... where was Kris? Had she been shot? Oh my God... who... who was shot? What ambulance? Heavy, it all started to become heavy for her again. There was a sour taste in her throat and she felt like her mouth was full of cotton. Breathe in, breathe out, she told herself. Yes but where? Where was she? What was everybody expecting from her? The temptation to keel over and cry was overwhelming but she fought it nevertheless. She needed something for support, but no such help was around. She groaned again as her shoe slid into something wet and cold. Mud water. ''Gaaaaah!'' She shook her foot trying to avoid water seeping in.  
''Damn Damn Damn Damn it ALL!'' She shouted, breathless. ''Kelly where the hell are you?!"  
Was... could that dark form on the ground be Kris? Why... Why wasn't she moving? Why... What... What was going on?! She pulled a loose strand of hair away from her eyes and her fingers dipped into something warm and slippery. Blood... She... She must've hit her head falling.  
She moved herself as close as she could to Kris and then dropped to her knees next to her friend. Without a warning Kris grabbed her forearm with both hands and kept it close to her chest. ''Take me... take me away from here Tiff...'' she sobbed softly. ''Take me... away...'' she muttered once again and her voice broke. So did Tiffany's heart as Kris closed her eyes and rolled on her side to a fetal position. ''Kris... Kri honey don't... don't go to sleep... come on... It's all fine... It's all okay... you're not hurt now, are you?'' Tiffany made a quick check for any wounds. She found nothing but a few scrapes. ''See? You're fine.'' She sighed. ''Come on now... I'm... gonna go check on Kell now okay? Just a sec.'' ''No... no don't go Tiff no...'' Kris' grip tightened around her hand. ''Kris... I have to. Hang on there. Just a sec huh?''  
Gently she loosened Kris' fingers from her hand and she got up, unsteadily. She cleared the distance to Kelly's side and the sight that greeted her there was worse that what she expected. ''Sabrina!'' She stood there for a while not knowing what to say, seeing Kelly in complete panic mode.  
With her hands coated in blood and cold perspiration trickling down her back Kelly was on her knees down on damp, hard ground, having no idea of what else to do. It took almost everything she had to just keep the entry wound under pressure but now she realised it was a through-and-through. Which meant that she was doing absolutely nothing useful all this time. When Tiffany knelt next to her something in her heart jumped. Now they might have chances of saving her life. It wasn't difficult to lift her torso and support it with her own shoulder. She quickly motioned Tiffany the exit wound and the other half of her guard's uniform jacket.  
''Stop the bleeding! Help me Tiff!''  
"Oh my God Kelly!" Tiffany grabbed the piece of material and quickly stuffed it up against the terribly torn flesh at Sabrina's back. Kelly barely gave Tiff a grimace then turned her attention back to Bri.  
"Keep it tight Tiff, for God's sake hold it as tight as you can!" Kelly gasped, as she fought to do the same at Sabrina's stomach. The thought of how all this had happened when they were so close to getting the hell away, batted at Kelly's crashing mind, yet here they were... utterly alone and battling for their every breath again. Jason... where the hell was he? If he hadn't contacted a hospital somewhere... if help was just too far away... Kelly shook her head, bit her lip and pushed harder, not knowing if Bri's internal damage was being made worse by her actions or not.  
Tiffany grunted with the effort of trying to stem the blood flow from the back.  
"Kelly?!" She once again looked to her normally in control colleague. All she saw now was wild panic and fear. Oh my God. Tiffany gulped, felt fear rising also. It felt like bile rising once more up her throat. She gulped again, trying to keep control for everyone's sake.  
"Tiff... she's gonna make it all right?! Don't you dare think anything else okay?!" Kelly gave Tiffany a brief hard glance then again concentrated on Sabrina.  
"C'mon Bri... don't you dare give up now... I won't let you - dammit!" Through the soaked jacket material, she could barely make out signs of life. Just a little longer please oh God please Bri just a little longer... Kelly felt like throwing her face up to the darkening rainy sky, and screaming. And screaming. And screaming until her lungs burst. The raindrops began to patter more frequently now, and a slight breeze that had been stirring, began to whip up around the three women on the ground. Kelly was acutely aware of Kris lying helpless some feet away, unable to bring herself round. Acutely aware of being unable to help her now. As the minutes passed and there was no sign of Jason or any help at all, Kelly began deep in her heart, to lose hope. She stared down at the mess that was her best friend and confidant, and saw such frailties, such humanity so close to death now, it scared her so much... so much...  
Then something, a noise... someone running through the rain. She glanced up, harsher raindrops stinging her eyes. It was Jason. Thank God!  
He covered the distance to them quickly.  
"Kelly! I got through! They're sending help! They're sending a..."  
But his words, his every next intention, everyone's next intentions, were abruptly and completely thrown into oblivion as a massive explosion boomed behind them, the blast sending Jason toppling as Kelly, Tiffany and Sabrina briefly left contact with the ground, then crashed into each other, crackling with shock. Tiffany screamed in terror, but Kelly incredibly found her wits quickly, as heat and flames erupted behind them, scorching the air.  
"TIFF!" Kelly screeched. "Hold on to Sabrina for Gods sake! Get HOLD of her dammit! DO it!"  
Tiffany numbly obeyed without pause, bringing her already soaked piece of the jacket up and shoving it again to the hole in Sabrina's back. She realised, with only a tiny sense of relief, as she did so, that the wound appeared to have clotted somewhat, yet now fresh blood was also appearing again. She swore and pressed ever harder. She also heard Kelly cursing loudly, repeatedly, as the flames and smoke behind them continued to belch skyward, a few smaller explosions now cracking off and adding more to the maelstrom of catastrophic noise and utter mind-bending confusion.  
Kelly once again held Sabrina close, using all her waning strength now, to try and do the impossible... trying to save Bri's fading life. She needed a miracle, she knew, right now. Nothing less. There was nothing else either herself or Tiff could do that they weren't already doing. She looked up to meet Tiffany's scared-as-hell gaze, both of them sobbing now with effort and fear. Afraid beyond words, Kelly saw, in the dancing flame-light. She felt no different. In fact, all she felt now was ... yawning deep, dark fear. Jason was silent, somewhere behind her. Dead? She had no idea. Kris was close by. Silent also. Hit by falling, flaming debri? Still alive? Again, she had no idea. Her whole mind felt fear consumed, as the effects of the noise, the heat, the flames, the utter chaos around her and the hopelessness of Sabrina's life prospects within her own useless arms, crashed down upon her, engulfing her. Nothing left, she realised numbly, as she met Tiffany's eyes once again. The rain fell harder and harder, beginning to sound like a beating drum in her head. Beating, beating, beating...beaten... 


	14. Chapter 14

_**There you are folks! Hope you like this chapter...! I was feeling under a bit of pressure, after all Krazy Chris was waving a rifle into my face to get this thing uploaded...! :P Thank you for your kind reviews, they really get us going. It's been a hard few weeks but this is the next chapter... so enjoy! **_

_**LK**_

* * *

No dammit Kelly! Not beaten yet! Stay with it damn you! Another panicked glance at Tiff - another fear-wrecked look back.  
"Kelly...!" She heard Tiff's so desperate voice, but didn't dare look up. Sabrina, hold on, damn it, God just ... please! The rain blurred her eyes, her soaked and plastered hair hung in her face, the rain drenched every pore of her skin, yet she held fast to Sabrina, not ever letting go.  
"Kelly...I...!" Again.. Tiffany... fear-stabbed.  
"SHE'S GONNA MAKE IT DAMN IT TIFF!" Kelly yelled, now cracking more and more, feeling the nightmare's end nowhere in sight. She heard another sob from Tiff and the fear wracked up yet even another impossible notch in her belly. Did - could she see something Kelly couldn't? Kelly could hardly see anything at all... she was facing into the almost horizontal rain, her vision almost totally impaired. Tiff... she must be able to see clearer... was Sabrina... was she...  
"NO! She's ALIVE! DAMMIT! SHUT UP TIFF!" She threw her head up in an effort to clear her sight somehow and see what Tiff was desperately trying to tell her. She couldn't ... ever never... didn't ever want to... but had to ... sweet mother...  
But when she found Tiff's face, she saw Tiff wasn't looking at Kelly. Or Sabrina. Her face was tilted up to the sky, a new expression etched there. And then... Kelly realised, all at once, the beating in her head, was not just in her head. The beating was growing louder with every passing second. The look on Tiff's face was now one of... shocked expectancy... of something... else? Kelly swung her own head upwards and checked the blotted sky for the source of the sound. And there it was. A helicopter, its lights glaring steadily through the streaming downpour.  
"He did it!" Tiffany spluttered, unable to contain herself, her emotions now totally in charge. Could this really be... a medical helicopter? A god damn air ambulance? Jeez! Her sobs now subsided into gasps.  
"... He did it! He got the damn cavalry in !" A slight wave of... euphoria? Seemed to hit then... and she shook her head and focussed back on Sabrina. Still... she sensed, even now, still with them. Still alive!  
"Oh my God!" Kelly groaned, in response. Could she allow herself just this one little gleam of hope? Could she... dare she...? She watched in shocked disbelief as the whirring blades approached and the helicopter hovered overhead, it's endless ear-splitting machinery grinding at her senses, it's spotlight sweeping over the situation. Then it shifted its course and finally settled to rest some few hundred feet away. The next few minutes then blurred by in a flurry of medical attention, as herself and Tiffany were relieved of their supreme efforts and were able to stand back and allow Sabrina to finally, incredibly, receive the medical help she was so close to never needing again.  
Tiffany saw the guard she knew to be Jason stir then, and heard the groan as he pushed himself up off the ground. She looked back to where Kris lay. Kris needed her more. "Hey! Jason! Over here!" She shouted to him. She then ran the few paces across to tend to Kris, feeling a selfish pang as she realised she wasn't really concerned if Jason could help now, or not. He was on his feet. Kris was not.

Kelly could only watch in silence as the paramedics kept working on Sabrina's limp body. There were two of them in the already tight space and Kelly had to remain seated in a corner in order to avoid getting in the way. The helicopter blades slashed through the heavy wind as it rose higher and then pushed away into the rain.  
The taller man had pulled an oxygen mask over Sabrina's head, making her features disappear completely under the foggy plastic. The hissing of the monitor didn't sound like good news either.  
"I got ribs one and three crushed pressing onto the pericardium we need to act now! " Yelled the shorter person in a blur of movement.  
Kelly felt a trickle of sweat slide down her neck. Oh my God. ''Trauma in the aorta, she's flat-lining! All clear! Charging on 300! Clear!'' Replied the other and pushed his colleague away from the gurney.  
''Charging again! Clear!''  
One glance at the monitor was enough to ease Kelly's heart momentarily.'' She's back, she's back!''  
The smaller of the two looked at the pilot inside the cockpit, hooked with wires and microphones. ''Trying to estimate damage into spleen! Call the headquarters! We might need a splenectomy here!''  
''Are you sure?!''  
The man breathed heavily. ''I said tell them to prepare surgery!''  
The other man pulled his sleeve leaving a trail of blood on his paramedic's shirt. ''Bob! I see internal bleeding from the liver!'' Bob looked away. ''Damn this just got messy!''  
Kelly cowered in her corner even deeper. This looked like a horror movie. There was blood, blood everywhere, blood on her, blood dripping down the floor, blood on the paramedics clothes... on the ceiling they had touched, everywhere.  
''She's flatlining again! Come on! Clear!''  
There was a loud thunder and the light cracked. ''What the fu-''  
The machines stopped beeping, switching off to dark screens.  
''No-no-no-no!''  
The defibrillator in his hands was useless now. He tossed it away and started pumping Sabrina's heart with his own hands.  
''Come on! How long till the emergency supply starts feedin' ?!''  
''BP dropping is dropping ... I got no pulse on the carotid! We're down to fourties! '' Came a response, no reply to the question.  
''Damn damn damn we're losing her!'' He yelled.  
And finally with a loud ''thud'' the light went on again. The pilot raised his fist in the air. ''The emergency supply is on!''  
Bob made a loud throaty sound in frustration. The extreme bleeding caused by the liver trauma was making it hard to see. ''I need gauze I need more gauze we're losing her!'' His partner passed him a big roll of the white fluffy material and he pressed it against the entrance wound.  
The pilot looked back. ''I got incoming call from the headquarters! You're on the line now Bob!''  
Bob shook his head. ''I got a clean gunshot on the upper abdomen, left side, possible pericardium bruising and need of a splenectomy as soon as possible!''  
There was some short burst of static until a woman's voice replied. ''Copy that.''  
He turned to Kelly. ''What's her blood type?''  
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God... what was Sabrina's blood type? She... she should know, come on come on Kelly!  
She dropped her head into her hands. She had to know, she had to, she had to dammit!  
''Its O! O Negative!'' Kelly jolted upright from the adrenalin rushing through her system, but ended up hitting her head on the interior metal hull behind her. ''Ow!''  
Bob nodded. ''I need eight units of O Neg!''  
He knew that they had at least three minutes distance to cover until they reached the hospital. If she - ''God she's coding! She's coding again!''  
Kelly sunk low on her knees. This couldnt be happening.  
This wasn't supposed to be happening! They were supposed to reunite... Sabrina should be at home, safe, away from this nightmare, with her child, her only daughter.  
And what about Kris? She thought of the mess of her friend she had left behind and sobs took over her body as Bob yelled once again to clear.  
She saw him, as in slow motion, leave the AED and shake his head.  
''I'm sorry miss...'' He began to say, but as he looked back, there was a sudden spike in the heart monitor. "...For God's sake she's alive!''  
Bob was surprised to see the collected brunette who was standing quiet for so long, suddenly get up and yell. ''Don't you freaking dare to die on me Sabrina Duncan!''  
''Hear me?! Don't you even think about dying, Duncan!''  
The large building of the clinic reared up through the rainy night shadows as the helicopter landed smoothly among the raindrops. Kelly jumped and ran frantically behind the gurney on which her friend was now being wheeled into the Emergency ward.

Tiffany put an arm around Kris' shoulder in order to lift her up gently. It was hard because Kris was not really eager for the contact, or, to be exact she didn't seem even aware of the physical contact. As she struggled with Kris, fires still burned strongly behind them, the crackle and crash of timbers and walls collapsing a constant background noise, and she vaguely hoped that everyone had been able to get out to safety. The guard, Jason, had decided to double back and look for anyone who might be needing help. His guilt was probably getting to him, Tiffany decided harshly. She groaned out loud with the terror of it all and doubled her efforts to try and bring Kris round. ''Hey, Kris... look at me...'' Tiffany now pleaded in a broken voice. She needed Kris to be here now, be present, be helpful. Instead she gave her an empty look and tilted her head to the shifted the weight to her knees and pulled Kris closer to herself, in order to give her some comfort. ''Listen to me now... there is... there is an ambulance on the way...'' She had no idea what to do when Kris started sobbing again. That was worse... or better than her being sunk into apathy? Tiff shook her head in frustration. How could she know? She heard a car approach, among the sounds of the fire burning inside the remains of what used to be a prison. And it was a car she knew.  
''Oh my God!''  
The tires made a noise of rubber being dragged along the asphalt and the car came into a halt.  
She turned her head around, still holding Kris, to see a familiar form get out of the drivers door and run sloppily in their direction.  
The husky voice warmed her heart immediately. ''Tiffany!''  
Tiff looked down at Kris. ''It's Bos... he's here...We're going home Kris! We're going home!'' She rocked her back and forth. Bosley stopped abruptly at the sight in front of him. ''What in heavens has happened here?'' Tiffany nodded at his distraught countenance. ''Help me take Kris out of here Bos...please...''  
Bosley nodded in agreement and wrapped Kris' hand around his neck, lifting her up slowly. ''Shouldn't we wait for an ambulance?'' "I think we better take her there ourselves. I doubt the ambulance will be here in time.''  
''C'mon Kris... I got you now...'' He walked slowly to the car as Kris closed her eyes and leaned her head on his chest. ''You're going to be okay.'' His voice broke. Sending them into this place was probably the worst mistake he and Charlie had ever made.  
Tiffany opened the door to the back seat and Bosley gently eased Kris in. She gathered herself into the cool leather seat and lay quiet. Tiffany sighed, as the man looked at her, his gaze wandering around her face at the cuts and bruises. ''You need to get checked out too, Tiff.'' Then he suddenly realised something. ''Where's Kelly?!''  
Tiffany put a hand on his shoulder. ''Let's get Kris to the hospital first, then worry about me... and... Kelly is with Sabrina.'' Bosley raised an eyebrow at the mention of this very familiar name. But immediately dismissed the possibility of his friend being even in the country, let alone anywhere near this disaster. No, impossible! Must be pure coincidence!  
"Uh... Sabrina? Sabrina who - another inmate?" He queried, with piqued interest.  
''Sabrina Duncan, Bos.''

Everyone hates hospitals, Kelly thought erratically to herself, as she waited in turmoil for news on Sabrina. Yet it was where people came to get better too. Not just to... to... she couldn't even say the word in her head, never mind out loud. No Kelly! Stop it! Don't think it! She stood up, her nerves already strung to breaking point. She felt light headed and her insides felt like they were turning to jello, but she had to keep it together. Looking around the ICU waiting area, she saw other people waiting restlessly for news of their relatives or friends. My God! Human frailty! She never took any of her friends for granted she thought. Yet, when it came right down to it, she just never took the time to imagine how she would feel if anyone she loved were to end up in here! So... so... desperately clinging to life! And now - now she knew. And it felt worse than... worse than anything, worse than any pain she knew, if Sabrina were to ... NO! She shook her head to shake the thought away, then walked across the room towards the nurses station. Had there been some news, and she had missed something? Had a doctor come to look for her and not seen her? Had she fallen asleep and missed Sabrina's name being called out? All these irrational thoughts and more, sprang uselessly around, as she walked up to the desk. But when she actually received a patient look from one of the nurses, she suddenly felt foolish.  
"Can I help you ma'am?" "Uh... I - I'm waiting for news on my friend, Sabrina Duncan... I..." Kelly's words petered out and she shrugged apologetically. She saw the nurses' understanding smile and felt even more foolish. Of course she would have heard any news! Of course she would have been informed! Stupid!  
"Um... Miss...?" The nurse enquired of her name.  
"Garrett - Miss Garrett." Kelly supplied.  
The nurse nodded. "Miss Garrett, Miss Duncan is in excellent care. I am sure the doctor will inform you of any..."  
The doors to Intensive Care opened and a man in scrubs appeared, removing the mask from his face.  
"Duncan - Sabrina Duncan?" He called out across the room, his eyes scanning for a response from the few people waiting.  
Kelly immediately spun round.  
"Oh - oh - I ... um... am Miss Duncans friend - uh..." She stammered. Her knees felt weak suddenly. The man cleared his throat before continuing.

Tiffany hurried along the corridors towards ICU. There were, even at this time of night, a surprising number of people around. Of course, visiting hours. A hospital was like a twenty-four-seven shopping mall, she decided. Yet, as people milled around, shopping would be the last thing on their minds, even though she knew there would be one or two small shops and a cafe, in a city hospital. Her eyes followed the signs, pointing the way to all the departments and wards, searching continuously for the large blue I.C.U. letters. Red. All Tiffany could see colouring her vision, was red. Blood red. All that blood Sabrina had lost. God. Tiffany quickened her already hurried pace, her own nausea and desperate state fading into the background as more recent events stamped new imprints down through her system. Nightmare after nightmare after... the words echoed fruitlessly back and forth through her mind as she almost ran the rest of the way towards Intensive Care. She slowed somewhat when the department finally came into view as she followed some blue arrows around a corner. She respectfully slowed right down and opened a door, quietly now sliding through, desperate to set eyes on Kelly. She didn't have to look far. She spied Kelly standing by the waiting area and felt shocked on seeing how, in the harsh lights of the hospital, so heart-rendingly beaten she looked. Tiff quietly crossed the room and accidentally startled Kelly as she approached.  
"Oh, Tiffany...!" Kelly turned.  
Tiffany reached out, her heart in her mouth, wanting to steady her friend, afraid Kelly was about to collapse.  
"Kelly - Sabrina - ?... How... Is she...?" Tiffany tried to keep the fear from her voice for Kelly's sake, but failed miserably. Her emotions were now unstoppable. She saw a look in Kelly's eyes that should never ever have to be there. And she felt so afraid of what Kelly had to say next.  
"She... she's... Oh my God, Tiffany... I can't... I never... I'm so sorry...!" Kelly then folded, her own nerves finally breaking and dissolving, as she began to weep. Tiffany immediately pulled her close and hugged her broken friend, stroking her still damp hair, trying to sooth Kelly as terrible sobs wracked her body. Oh my God, no... Tiffany silently wept then, allowing the lump in her own throat to dissolve away. Oh God no...  
"No...no.. it's...she's...!" Kelly then managed to utter between her pained gulps. Tiffany, her mind suddenly hearing what Kelly was trying to say, pulled Kelly away a little, trying to see her friends face. God! She had got it wrong?! Oh Please ...!  
"Kelly...? Kelly...! She's alive?! Sabrina...! She... is alive?!" Tiffany managed to grate the words out as she then tried once more to regain control of her fried nerves and emotions.  
Kelly nodded but was still unable to tell Tiffany exactly what state Sabrina was in. Tiffany drew in a deep breath, tried to calm herself.  
"Okay Kelly... here, just come and sit here... I'm going to find out what I can, okay?" She then moved Kelly, her shoulders still trembling and muttering sorrowful apologies, over to a seat and eased her down. She then crouched down and took her hands in her own, making eye contact with her.  
"Just stay here okay? I'm going over to talk with someone all right? Please Kelly, don't move huh? I'll just be over there, okay?" She pointed behind her to the nurses station, then looked back at a trembling, utterly vulnerable Kelly. Kelly, who was always in charge, always rock steady, now a broken mess in front of her. Damn this nightmare to hell! She gave Kelly a small smile then brushed a little wet hair from her friends cried-out, blood-shot eyes.  
"Sabrina is going to come through - she's a fighter!" She told Kelly, saw her nod, then got up and headed across the room, her heart thumping in her chest. Okay, she also told herself with some small conviction, we're all going to come through this...! Kris, Kelly and Sabrina! All of them! God, then there was Emily! And somewhere in amongst this battle, she would try sort herself out - but that was going to have to wait. She got to the nurses station and requested to speak to the doctor who was treating Sabrina. She fumed in stress and frustration when told he was busy, but the nurse at the desk was not unsympathetic, and went to find out some details for Tiffany. She unwittingly drummed what was left of her fingernails on the desk, as she waited impatiently, casting quick glances over her shoulder to check on Kelly. She was hunched over in her chair, her hands covering her face. Oh, come on, come on, please hurry! Tiffany knew she had very little energy reserves left herself. And possibly very little sanity reserves, she thought, too. No - no she was not going to give in. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, to try and steady herself. Then she nearly leapt ten feet in the air when someone touched her shoulder.  
"Hey, Tiff! Sorry! It's just me!" Bosley had quietly approached, having first seen Tiff at the information desk and headed over, missing Kelly in her seat altogether.  
"Uh Bosley! Sorry! You - you startled me!" Tiff kept her voice low, trying to collect herself. She tried to scrape some of her hair from her face in an attempt to look more... in control. Bosley saw her efforts then took hold of Tiffany's shoulders in an encouraging, careful grasp.  
"Okay honey - you okay?" Bosley looked Tiffany in the eyes and Tiffany looked back and found deep respect and care in Bosleys' anxious gaze. And Tifffany knew Bosley only used this term of endearment when things were not going well. And nope, things were really really not going well. "Yeah Bosley - I'm fine!" Tiff tried a small weak smile to show she still had some fight left. And Bosley, for his part, took it as such.  
"Okay. Now - Sabrina...?" He prompted gently. Tiffany sighed heavily and gestured over to Kelly, who now thankfully looked as though she was trying to pull herself together.  
"I got here and found Kelly in a ..." Tiffany paused, "...well, in a state, Bos. I don't know much yet. Except that Sabrina is still fighting. I'm waiting for more news."  
Bosley shook his head remorsefully.  
"My God, Tiffany, I still... I still can't believe it's - Sabrina! She should be a - a thousand miles away somewhere with her family for Gods' sake!" He loosened off his tie, feeling a little nauseous himself at the sudden path he now found himself thrust down.  
"My God!" He repeated, almost to himself. Then he looked back over to Kelly and his heart sank still further. Charlie was going to have so much talking to do when everyone was... he grunted inwardly in deep anxiety... when everyone was able to ... talk! He took a step away from Tiff, and towards Kelly, when Tiff caught his arm.  
"Bosley...?" Tiffany queried, trying to keep him on track. She knew he was finding all of these sudden revelations very hard to take in. Well! He wasn't the only one! She felt a little bitterness creep up her throat and immediately fought it back down. Not the time.  
"What about Kris, Bosley?!" Tiffany brought him up short. Bosley paused and gathered himself. Come on, John! They need you to keep focussed damn it!  
"Uh... Sorry Tiff... well, she's under heavy sedation right now. All we can do is uh, wait until she comes round and..." He then decided to remove his tie once and for all. It felt like it was strangling him, the damn thing! he pulled it from his slightly unbuttoned collar and absently placed it on the desk beside him. It was always too damn hot in hospitals anyway!  
"Miss Welles?" A voice cut across both Bos and Tiffany's thoughts, causing them both to spin round and begin to question the nurse simultaneously. She held her hands up, before both people in front of her could bombard her further.  
Tiffany then noticed the nurse now glance beyond her. She once again looked back to find Kelly, and saw with some relief, that Kelly had left her seat and had approached herself and Bosley, and was now in fact, standing right behind them, finally under some measure of control. She silently held her arm out and drew Kelly to her, as the nurse then began to speak.  
"Now please," the nurse began, kindly addressing all three people in front of her, "I know this is very distressing for you all, but believe me, Miss Duncan is in the best possible care. We have excellent doctors doing their very best here..." She paused slightly, to gauge the visitors demeanours. No one spoke. All three were now listening very carefully. The nurse continued.  
"Now, Miss Duncan has two fractured ribs, a lot of... bruising and swelling... and some very serious internal injuries, as well as problems relating to the major blood loss..."  
"Ah... please..." Bosley interrupted her impatiently. "... Is she... going to... ah... " Bosley couldn't even say the right words. He knew from Tiffany's description of what had happened, that Sabrina's condition was so very precarious.  
"Uh, Mr...?"  
"Bosley..." He supplied quickly.  
"Mr Bosley, please... understand that at this stage, Miss Duncans condition is extremely serious, extremely critical... all of the internal injuries are in themselves, life-threatening. At the moment, Doctor Underwood, our Chief Surgeon, is with her now. She is still fighting." The nurse tried a gentle smile. "Please be assured she is under the best possible care in this hospital." She tried to re-assure them all but nothing of what she had to tell them was good news.  
"What internal injuries?!" Kelly had been silent up to now, silently praying for some hint of... some kind of good news. So far, her prayers were not exactly getting answered the way she desperately needed. She felt Tiffany stiffen beside her.  
"Yes, I was just about to explain. Miss Duncan has suffered... a lot of injury. A small part of her liver and some of her spleen was damaged by a gunshot wound. She had to undergo an emergency splenectomy..."  
"Oh my God!" Bosley immediately exclaimed. "She's lost her spleen?!" Tiffany also exclaimed. "Will she... even...?" Her words trailed off as she realised, Sabrina had to make it through the next few hours with such terrible damage as they were just being informed of. Just how the hell ... she felt sick once more.  
"How will she cope without the spleen? Well... that is something that will be addressed by Doctor Underwood, as and when..." The nurse seemed to read Tiffany's mind. "...Miss Duncan also has some small lung damage, so she is receiving medication for pneumonia. When he is available, Doctor Underwood will come and speak to you in more detail about her condition." The nurse again smiled, wishing herself, she had something more positive to say to her friends.  
"For now, I suggest you all try and rest a little. I can't say when the doctor will be able to see you."  
"Can we see her?" Kelly couldn't help the question. It spluttered its way out before she could stop herself. She knew of course, it would be impossible right now.  
"I'm sorry Miss Garrett. It's impossible. She is still receiving treatment..."  
"Of course! Sorry..." Kelly lowered her gaze to the floor anxiously, her eyes beginning to blur. She blinked back the moist haze, and drew in a deep breath. Then she felt Tiffany's hand in her own, then a light squeeze. She looked up at Tiff.  
"Come on Kelly. She is a fighter, remember?"  
"Of course she is!" Bosley backed Tiffany up. "Look..." Bosleys voice softened and Kelly looked at him. He sighed, a little lost for words himself suddenly. None of what he had just learned in the last couple of hours had not made any sense to him whatsoever. And now faced with the possibility of losing one of his oldest angels... one of his oldest, dearest friends... it was an intolerable thought. No. It simply could not happen. He shook his head.  
"I know Sabrina is ... I know what happened and now Sabrina is fighting for her life in there..." he motioned is head back towards ICU.  
"But Tiffany's right, Kelly. Bri - she's a fighter! She's going to pull through! We all just have to believe in her!"  
Tiffany and Kelly both nodded then, although neither of them dared to voice any conviction over this. Bosley saw how battered they both looked and it saddened him deeply and made him angry at the same time. Tiffany noticed Bosleys gaze.  
"I guess we don't look very appealing right now Bosley?!" She attempted a grin and pretended to fuss a little with her totally dishevelled and dirty hair.  
Bosley returned the tired grin. "You're always appealing to me, angels... in more ways than you know." Kelly smiled despite herself. Trust Bosley to try make them feel better like this. She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.  
"Thanks Bos."  
"Don't mention it. Now, I think you both need to get checked out..."  
"Oh I'm fine Bosley really...I'm not leaving here ...I'm not leaving Sabrina..." Kelly began. Bosley held his hand up, discreetly eying Kelly with regard to Tiff also.  
"Ah-ah... please... indulge a caring friend. I will stay right here and wait for any news. Then when you come back... I have a long phone call to make..." Kelly wasn't feeling great, she admitted to herself, but it was just shock and exhaustion, she knew. She looked at Tiffany, who really did look bad though. "Tiff? Okay?"  
Tiff nodded relunctantly and allowed Kellys' arm around her, to take them out of the ICU.


	15. Chapter 15

**_hey everyone, thanks for staying with us on this journey, our first venture together...story almost told! Please stick with us to the end...and thanks for all your encouraging and kind reviews!_**

**_LAeyeball_**

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**_Bear with us, the chapters are long, but there's a lot of effort here. Thank you folks!_**

**_LK_**

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Awareness. Pain. Cold, stark cold, where? It was all nice there, why, who was this form threatening to pull her out of her dreams? Kris moaned in her sleep and her hands curled into fists, subconsciously trapping the thin bed linens inside. She panted heavily and her eyelids popped open.  
It took her a while to surface completely from unconsciousness and clear her vision. She was in a hospital room. A harsh Van Gogh print hanging from the wall piqued her interest for a short period of time and then her focus shifted to the door. Why was she here?  
A shot, like a dull echo, still rang in her ears. Yes, there had been shooting, but who shot who? She closed her eyes and tried to think. Her left hand was miserably trapped in white bandages that led to an IV line. She slowly unwrapped the bandage and took the IV needle off. The transparent tube fell on the floor, the liquid pooling slowly.  
Yes, pooling as Sabrina's crimson-red blood had. Oh my God, Sabrina, Sabrina was shot! Is this why she was in the hospital herself?  
No... she was wearing a patients gown. She was not simply a visitor. But why? She was a patient. She pulled her legs up to her chest. She didn't feel any pain. So she wasn't hurt. But then what?  
Of course, of course she felt the pain from every single cut but all these... all these were minor. Sabrina was shot.  
Yes, now she remembered, she remembered feeling dead, but she was not, she had never been dead, or was it... was it possible? No, it just... it just felt like it. She remembered feeling numb... after she had cried for so long and Tiffany, yes, Tiffany was by her side, tall, reassuring, but she was scared, so scared. She had begged her to stay but now... now were was Tiffany? Why, God, Why did she leave her alone? The room was so cold and white it made her feel sick. Blessed with oblivion, no, she was not, she could remember, but she did not want to. She swallowed hard and searched the room.  
There was a crystal glass of water next to a full jug on the small table. She gratefully took a few gulps to ease the soreness of her throat. Her mind seemed clear a bit more. Memories from the imposing prison building rushed back. She stopped and paused her breathing for a while until it was over. Of course. She got up, so fast she didn't even realise she was barefoot. She didn't feel the cold.  
Kelly, Kelly, she had to get to Kelly and Tiffany and, God, No, Sabrina could not be dead she was... she was THEIR Sabrina, their Angel, and dammit Angels don't die like this!  
She thought back, to the horrible scar, the one she watched part horribly as her friend struggled to talk, the self consciousness about it, the way she had returned the stare back and... and now she knew that Sabrina was scared too.  
What about the little girl... Sabrina's little girl? Little Emily, where, where was... is she? And what if...what if Bri... is already... No! She's not!  
She opened the door. The corridor was empty. Oblivious that the gown was not much of a cover for the cold she dashed to the elevator and bolted for the reception when she finally reached the ground level floor.  
The woman sitting on the desk, a black with strikingly high cheekbones couldn't keep back a gasp as she looked up to the blond, and probably crazed, she thought, woman in front of her who looked just like if she had been in an explosion, or a tornado...  
Kris slammed her hands down on her desk, trying to attract her attention and eye contact. ''Sorry, I'm sorry hello here um I would like to know about a patient here-''  
''Well , excuse me miss... but you look like a patient here as well ... and you should be in bed, if I am correct?'' the clerk muttered surprised.  
Kris slammed her hands down again. ''Please! Just tell me if she's okay!''  
''I cannot give this sort of information. Patient confidentiality you see.''  
''Godammit! Just tell me-'' Kris growled frustrated. The woman nodded.  
''I'm afraid I have to call security.'' She said pushing a button, and almost simultaneously something that looked like a gorilla in a suit emerged from a corner, and easily picked a yelling Kris from the floor and over his shoulder, as she kept trying to hit him with her fists. ''Hey! HEY!''  
A firm male voice came from the elevator. ''Put my patient down, you uncivilized primitive!'' The man obediently lowered a flushed Kris on the floor and a doctor in white scrubs reached her side.  
''Miss Munro why are you out of your room?!'' The man scolded. What? How did he know her name?  
''Excuse me?''  
''I am miss Duncan's doctor, pleased to meet you.'' he reached for a handshake that Kris returned hesitantly. ''You shouldn't be out in the cold when receiving treatment for shock. Though your friends warned me about you. I was on my way to your room but I found it empty. ''  
Kris' mind flipped to the name.  
''Duncan? Sabrina! Is she okay?!''  
The doctor cut her off with a smile. ''The situation is not an easy one, but she is alive. She's in critical condition in the ICU. I cannot tell you details here in the corridor, though I think your friends would be pleased if you joined them. ''  
It was surprising a doctor showed so much attention .  
''How do you know my friends?'' she said in a low voice.  
''Well the media have been going nuts as long as miss Duncan was in surgery. I read the news a while ago and all reporters are jumping around like crazies to get a good piece of the story. ''  
''I see...'' She chewed her upper lip. ''So where are the rest?''  
''They're outside the intensive care unit waiting room.'' He smiled again, and finally Kris recognised the stupid male smile that men used to have around Jill. Oh, crap, not now. She sighed. ''Well... can you take me there?''  
''You have to put some shoes on first...'' he smirked, pointing to her feet. Kris rubbed her eyes, trying to cover her red cheeks.  
''Sure.''

The nurse stationed just outside Miss Duncans' open recovery room looked up as soon as she heard it. It was very faint, almost like a child's groan in sleep. She was by the patients bedside within seconds, checking all the vitals. All the monitor results were within expected parameters. She took great care next, to visually examine her patients current state. No further change seemed to be apparent. Yet, the nurse was worried. She had definitely heard something.  
She watched Miss Duncans' face expectantly now, for signs of waking. Watched, as her patients eyelids fluttered, watched with caring concern as she noted her fingers trying to twitch under the bandaging. Yes, Miss Duncan was surely coming to. She expected Miss Duncan would need some fluid, and in her mind, she was already paging the Doctor in charge and availing her patient of fresh water.  
Yet the next thing to occur was really not what the nurse had expected at all. And without any warning whatsoever, she and everyone within earshot was suddenly, shockingly treated to a nerve-shredding outcry as the patient in question quite unexpectedly shrieked at full volume from her bed and then began to writhe in agonising panic...  
"Em...!" The cry was now audible and the writhing became acute. The nurse immediately reacted according to protocol and pressed the alarm bell. This was going to go bad...  
"EM... ILL...Eeee...!"  
In her bent and anguished mind, Sabrina now saw her daughter only inches from her. Oh dear God Emily! My sweet baby! Please... please...!  
She tried to reach out... tried to move her leaden arms... to reach out to her lost child.. her only child.. her - her ... most beautiful thing she had ever been blessed with...  
"EMMIILLEEEEEEE...!"  
Another grief stricken shriek ripped from the patient, as nurses and doctors fought to control the terror that seemed to be errupting from within her, delivering high sedative doses to try prevent further tissue damage yet all acutely aware of so much sorrow now surfacing. Yet as they fought to control the sudden surge of anguish, a small group of people had heard. Had heard such horrific cries on their approach to her room and were now running as one to the sound of their stricken colleague.

Kelly was the first to reach the room where the commotion was emanating from, but just as she entered, a Doctor appeared, and blocked her way.

"I'm sorry - you cannot enter. Please step aside, we have an emergency here..." He advised, brusquely.  
"Oh but...!" Yet Kelly did as she was told and backed up, reversing into a hurried Tiffany as she did so.

"Ah!" Tiffany bumped into Kelly and immediately apologised, but her apologies were caught away in her throat as a bed was quickly wheeled out of the room surrounded by medical staff concerned only with the patient. Kelly immediately tried to follow the hurried procession of patient and medics busying over her with equipment as they went, but Tiffany sensibly reached out and grabbed Kelly's arm.  
"Kelly... hey... let them do their job..." She advised.  
Kelly heard the sound of broken feelings in Tiffany's voice and pulled up, responding more to this than the physical touch of her arm being held back.  
She turned back to Tiff and for a split second, she swore... oh my God, she swore she could almost see Sabrina herself standing there, giving the same advice! Kelly blinked, then the image was gone and she saw Tiffany. Tiffany - who had been nothing but a pure miracle of support to them all since the day she had arrived at the Townsend Agency.  
She blinked once again, initially to rid her eyes of tired tears, then as she did so, she suddenly and ashamedly saw such a fragile person before her. Tiffany, their colleague. Whom they had all sub-consciously felt was trying to take the place of ... someone whom they all held so very dear. Kelly suddenly felt even more like weeping. Yet not all from the trauma of their current dire situation. But now even more so from the realisation that was now finally sinking in. She had ignored Tiff all along. She knew it. Deep in her heart and as real as Tiff was standing there before her, broken and longing, just longing to belong, she - Kelly - knew all along. She had ignored Tiffany as an angel. And this realisation hit her hard. Hit her deeper than she expected.  
"Uh...Tiff..." Kelly huskily croaked. "We need to..."  
Tiffany however, was as always, these days, already ahead of the game.  
"I know Kelly..." She pulled Kelly close, and gave her a show of support. It wasn't the first and it wouldn't be the last, as far as Tiff was concerned.  
"We need to find Bosley... and then we need to go find out how Kris is doing..." Tiffany held Kelly close, trying to console her friend whilst quickly thinking through how best to go about keeping tabs on everyone here. And being able to support everyone the best way she knew how.  
But where the hell was Bosley?! Oh God...! And just as her panic was beginning to really get control, she heard an all too familiar voice call out her name. Tiffany spun, almost leaving Kelly in her wake.  
"Tiff! Kelly!" A petite figure in a hospital gown was making her way quickly towards them, followed by a Doctor who ... seemed to be in charge of what was going on...  
Then it was Kelly's turn to react swiftly, as she sidestepped a seemingly frozen in place Tiffany.  
"Kris! What on earth are you doing here?!" She rushed up to embrace Kris, who was now beginning to shiver, even in the warmth of the hospital. Then she took a step back, to appraise herself of Kris's condition. And next she looked at the doctor who was shadowing her.  
"Kelly! I.." But Kelly cut her off, wanting an answer from the doctor in front of her.  
"Why is Miss Munro out of bed Doctor? What is she doing down here? She should be resting...!" Kelly's tone had taken on more than a slight wave of anxiety.  
"Kelly!" Kris tried to get her attention.  
the Doctor held his hands up. "Please, Miss... my patient had no intention of staying put in her room, and I decided the best course of therapy for her right now..." He glanced kindly at Kris "...was to allow her to rejoin her friends - with my accompaniment of course."  
"Well I..." Kelly began, still feeling it necessary to give the good doctor a little piece of her mind.  
But Kris had other ideas.  
"Kelly!" She shook Kelly's arms that were holding on tightly to her. "Listen to me... will you...please?!"  
Finally, Kelly looked back to Kris, finally looked at her pale shivering friend, finally registering that Kris was wide awake and back with them.  
"Oh my God, Kris...!" She again embraced her smaller companion, not wanting to let go this time. Kris felt Kelly's warmth and was drawn to it, but then she also felt her knees begin to buckle. Kelly felt the tremble and stepped back again, just in time to stop Kris from giving way completely. The doctor was already a step ahead. As Kelly caught Kris, he was already there to take her slight weight.  
"Okay Miss Munroe, back to bed." He ordered, as he held Kris up, ready to pick her off her feet. But the patient again refused the doctors orders.  
"No! I just need to sit down a minute, that's all...!" Kris almost whispered. Kelly searched her surroundings and her gaze picked out Tiffany, who was still stood near Sabrina's room. She had been watching them all along, it appeared. Tiffany made a slight flapping movement with her hand to Kelly then, and drew a finger up to her lips in a silent "shh". The sudden awful guilt Kelly felt was now mixed with gratitude as she knew Tiff was allowing them a little moment together. She watched with a lump in her throat as Tiff found a chair and began to walk towards her with it. Kelly stepped over, met her halfway and hugged her thanks. But she knew she owed Tiff more than a brief hug. She would ... sort something, when this was all over. She then walked back to Kris, all too aware of the news she had to bear to her. So much more heartache for them. But Bri was getting help. Kris was refusing hers.  
Kris felt too shaky, aware that yes, the doctor was right, she really did need to be back in bed. But not just yet. Kelly brought the hospital standard plastic chair over and she was helped down into it.  
"Thanks Kel..." She could feel the waves of disapproval coming from both the doctor and Kelly, but she didn't care.  
"So... Sabrina...?" Kris looked up to Kelly, dread in her eyes.  
Kelly glanced back over her shoulder at the room where Sabrina had been only minutes before, and again guilt stabbed her as she saw Tiff waiting patiently nearby. She tipped her head to bid Tiffany over, and Tiff immediately and with great relief, came over to join the group. Kris looked up, and her heart was filled with concern for her colleague. No her friend. Tiff looked... just terrible. Broken, almost, she realised. This is why she seemed to have disappeared on her. She tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn't allow.  
"Hey hey... take it easy Kris..." Kelly's concern was all too apparent. "Am okay!" Kris repeated, adamantly.  
"Please, will you please tell me what's going on? Where's Bri...? How - how is she Kelly...? Is she - is she...?" Kris's voice began to crack and she trembled with emotions that threatened to swamp her. Kelly crouched down to Kris's level then, and Tiffany followed suit, awkwardly feeling her own legs begin to give a little.  
"Tiff...?" She looked back to Kelly then. "Tell me...!" Again she looked to Tiff questioningly, sensing that Kelly didn't seem to be quite in control.  
Tiff took a deep breath. "She was stable, Kris... the doctors are taking wonderful care of her. Really. She's well ... she was shot and... there was internal damage..." Tiffany tried to find something positive to say but found, right now, she couldn't find anything. Kris just needed to know everything that Bri was going through right now. She took another deep breath to continue, but Kelly cut in.  
"Kris, I'm going to let the doctor here explain, then you're going back to bed. No arguments..." She smiled and allowed the doctor who also had been patiently standing by, to step in her place. He began to crouch also, but Kris made it up off the chair and faced the doctor stubbornly. "So tell me...please."  
And he did. Left nothing out, as far as Kelly was aware. She approved inwardly. He took his time, and allowed the facts to sink in. Kris listened and her face turned yet another shade of white.  
"Oh my God..." Her hands drew up to her face. "Can we see her...?!" Tiffany then realised that the doctor himself had been unaware of Bri's sudden outburst. They had arrived just after herself and Kelly. And he had not mentioned this latest development to Kris. Why hadn't he been paged then? She looked to Kelly, wondering if she thought the same thing.  
"Kris, Bri just had a ..." Kelly began.  
"Wait wait...!" Kris's thought processes clicked over like a badly oiled wheel cog and she swung round to Tiffany.  
"Tiff...you said - you said before - you said - Bri WAS stable...?! What did you mean? Was?!"  
"Uh..excuse me?" Now it was the doctors turn to cut in. "Has something else happened to my patient?!" And without another word he hurried away. "Dammit, ... why wasn't I paged...?!" His words could be heard as he disappeared from view.  
"What?! Tiff, Kel - what the hell just happened?!"  
Tiffany again took the initiative as Kelly continued to stare after the doctor, an awful scenario playing out in her head.  
"We - Kelly and me - were just on our way to see Bri... when we heard... ah, Kris, we heard this awful scream! God, it sounded an awful lot like Sabrina, so we ran down here, but when we got to her room, she was being taken out in a hurry and..." She glanced at Kelly who had now returned her attention to Kris "... and well, I don't know Kris!" The screams they had both heard as they ran had been... ugh...Tiff shuddered.  
"That's it... that's all we know... we don't know any more... we..."  
"Okay... it's okay Tiff." Kris sighed heavily. "When will this nightmare end?!" She stared down to the floor, feeling terrible. For Sabrina - and for all of them.  
"I don't know Kris," Kelly replied honestly. "...but right now, you're going back to bed. Come on." She took hold of Kris, and Tiffany went to the other side of her and put a supporting arm around her small trembling shoulders and Kris felt for all the world like a child being led up to bed to get tucked in and given a bed time story. She felt foolish. But was just too damned exhausted to care.

The ward sister fortunately had a good memory for faces. The thousands of faces she saw coming and going through this hospital every day, the hundreds of people she personally dealt with every week... how she did keep track, she would never know! But she remembered this lady, Miss message she had for her, she hoped she would be back soon. The caller was rightly concerned, but she didn't have the time to go chasing after people, unfortunately. She stuck the note plainly on the desk, and set the edge of a filing tray over it, before turning to other duties. Someone would be here to take over the desk shortly. She would explain the note to them when they arrived.

Tiffany walked quietly beside Kelly as they traced their route back through the corridors, to the main bank of phone booths near the hospital entrance. Bosley had seemed to have been gone a long while, and now Kelly was plainly worried that something else was going wrong. But in Tiffany's mind, everything that could ever possibly go wrong, had gone spectacularly wrong already.  
What else could, possibly go wrong? No no, she actually didn't need to answer that for herself.  
Then Kelly suddenly stopped dead in the corridor, seemingly frozen in place. Tiff had taken a few steps ahead, then turned to see Kelly's face, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets.  
"Kelly! What? What is it?!" Tiff stepped back to Kelly and took her by her shoulders.  
"Oh..my God Tiffany!" Kelly spluttered in absolute disbelief. She pulled her hands up to her face, the thought in her mind causing a chaotic rush of adrenalin down her spine, making her shiver.  
"What?!" Tiffany struggled to hold back the spears of stress spiking up her own spine.  
"We forgot! We forgot ... someone! We forgot little Emily! I forgot... all about her Goddammit!" Kelly's anxieties now liquidated into anger towards herself and she began to hurry away from Tiffany, the need to find Bosley even more immediate. Tiffany grunted out a curse and went after her, realisation of their lack of thought now kicking in and causing her senses to burn with shame.  
Bosley finally closed his conversation with Charlie, his face grim, his thoughts hectic and even grimmer. There was going to be a lot of bridge repairing after all this was over. He knew that the girls were very unhappy with Charlie right now. And Charlie was unfortunately going to receive a lot of flack. When this was all over. When. He turned away from the phone and walked back to find Kelly and Tiff. Would this ever be over? He wondered, trying to hold back the unacceptable possibility that they might still lose Sabrina. And if that happened. He shook his head at himself as he passed by people, not even acknowledging their presence.  
Until someone patted him on the arm. Kelly had rushed out towards the phones and and then drew to a halt when she saw Bosley. Saw the look of utter dejection and helplessness etched across his usually calm features.

"Hey Bosley." Kelly spoke softly, not wanting to startle him. He looked up, startled anyway, and tried to smile a little upon seeing Kelly and Tiff there. How long had they been there?  
"Bosley...!" Kelly's anxiously earnest tone brought him out of his own maudlin thoughts.  
"In all this... mess... I..." Kelly's words began to fail her again. Bosley was in for yet another shock and Kelly seemed to be always the bearer of the bad news. She looked at him, saw him study her own face then look over to Tiff for any clues.  
"Kelly...Tiff? What is it? What else has happened?" Bosley frowned even deeper. "Tell me!" He said gently, all too aware of the angels current fragility.

"I ... we..." Kelly stammered. Then took a deep breath. "Sabrina has a daughter Bos... and she was there! In the prison! With Helen Chambers all the time!" Kelly began to blurt things out now, words no longer held back. Bosleys eyes widened at this new and strange information that he was suddenly being made aware of.  
"... Sabrina... her daughter Emily was kidnapped by Helen Chambers the prison governor and she had her husband killed Bosley... !"  
Kelly's words were smacking into him and he was shocked. And he could also see that Kelly was frantic now.  
"Kelly hey Kel! Calm down, you're not making sense here...!" He took Kelly by the shoulders and looked to Tiff for support ... and clarity.  
Tiffany shook her head a little, the urgent sadness on her face telling him Kelly wasn't crazy.  
"She's right Bosley! We found out... a lot of terrible things!" She hooked an arm around Kelly's shoulders once more, as Kelly looked back to Bosley, determined to make him understand the reality of the situation.  
"Bosley - I know who has her daughter now! I know who has Emily, but I don't know where he is!"  
"What do you mean?!" Bosley tried to understand.  
"I mean I... I left her with a prison guard and he promised to look after her - but I - I don't know where the hell he is!" Kelly's voice grew louder with the stupidity she felt towards herself.  
"Okay okay Kel, we'll find her okay?!" He tried to placate Kelly, tried to understand what the hell he had just been told, but quite honestly, it just didn't make a whole lot of sense right now.  
One thing he was sure of though, was that Sabrina - and all of the angels had gone through hell and back.  
One thing he was certain of, was that he was never going to let them go through anything like this ever again. Whatever Charlie said.

Her best friends daughter. Oh my God, her daughter, she ... The idea was too big to perceive. How did this happen? At what point did it get out of hand? At what point did she forget her closest friend was somewhere out there? At what point did she forget she existed?  
How could she have done that? Inside a bright yellow taxi, Kelly was nibbling on her thumb nail, in silent grief and frustration. Look at us now, she thought. Chunks of what we were, tossed somewhere in a closet, and we stand here, bare, raw. What do we have left Bri? What... what can I do to mend this now? Am I even able to? Will Kris and Tiffany ever forget? Would she herself ever be able to shake the damp smell of rust that seemed to hang in the atmosphere, the smell of rain that accompanied her clothes?  
Would her now raw wounds ever be covered in scar tissue, would she ever heal? And what about Bri? What about her bond with her daughter, her tiny little dear daughter she was forced to part with, was that bond forever severed? With her whole heart Kelly hoped they still stood a chance, for a future, scarred and marked as it would be. Emily is too young to remember, she thought. In ten years from now Helen would be just a faint memory of a mother figure. But Sabrina had lost some of the most precious moments, would she be able to go on with her, and live normally as a family? And what the hell, in the whole ''where's my daddy'' question - is Sabrina's answer ever going to be? Or had Helen already given her some explanation? Kelly hoped the girl was too young to understand what typhoon went around her in the past year.  
As much as she hated Helen for all she did to Bri, her friends, but herself as well, she could not bring herself to think she might have hurt Emily in any way. Yes, if it is possible for a monster to feel love, Helen did.  
As the taxi passed a few coffee shops, Kelly's eyes wandered towards the pedestrians mindlessly chatting, and they were aliens to her.  
The old Kelly kicked in. She knew, as a professional, that Helen was a hurt person. For God's sake she was dying. But she couldn't get herself to feel compassion, feel empathy for her, and even though she knew a thing or two, to her this woman would remain a monster. They stopped in front of a police station, the address she had in the note in front of her matched. She paid the driver a few bills and walked to the front door. She gave her name at the front desk and an officer took her inside a small office. There sat a man with greying temples, and just next to him, with her eyes locked onto a small stuffed toy was... Emily.  
Next to his strong and broad build she seemed even more tiny, and Kelly was taken aback for a while. She really did look like a mini version of Bri. She stopped short of a ''hey little clone'' greeting and smiled at her gently. She watched as the little girl's eyebrows rose in a very familiar way and she jumped down from the too-high chair and crashed into Kelly's embrace.  
''Kelly!'' she shouted. ''You're here!''  
Subconsciously Kelly ground her teeth. It should be Bri here, in her place, taking care of her daughter, but Bri was now...fighting to survive. She sniffed and put her chin on Emily's head so she wouldn't see her cry.  
''Hello baby, how are you?''  
She lifted her up in her arms and felt her hugging her tighter. ''I want mommy, can you take me? where's mommy?!''  
''Tell you what...'' Kelly swallowed the lump in her throat. ''There's a taxi out there for us, mommy wasn't so good so...'' she stroked Emily's hair a bit ''she didn't feel so good so she is in the hospital for a while okay?''  
Her gaze lowered and met confusion in her eyes. ''Whatsa hospetal?''  
Of course. After all, Helen never went out of her ''medieval castle'' to the outside world, so how could Emily know?  
''Well honey...''  
Kelly sighed. This is Bri's daughter... so she better be straight forward.  
''Ho-spi-tal is a place were people go when they don't feel well...''  
Emily's eyebrows fell. ''So it's a big place full of grumpy people?''She snorted. ''What's my mommy doing there?''  
''Well...'' the Angel kept stroking her hair. ''It's where people go to get well... there are doctors there... and they make people feel better.. okay Emily?''  
''Uh huh! Can I go see her?!''  
''Okay, but she might be sleeping. If she's sleeping you can stay with me until she's awake, alright?'' Kelly spoke smoothly and very slowly, trying to get her to understand what she was saying.  
''Yes Kelly...!''  
Emily was obviously unhappy with the whole idea but it was the best Kelly could do for both their sakes right now.  
She quickly arranged the legal issues with the Sheriff and made her way over to the waiting taxi with a sleepy Emily clinging longingly to her chest. Kelly was relieved to find that Emily was sound asleep, as soon as the taxi rattled into life and drove away. She gazed down wistfully to Emily's head bobbing gently in her lap, as their ride sped through the darkened city, the flash of neon only a slight haze of colour apparent to Kelly's so tired eyes.

If there was ever a time when he felt so utterly helpless, confused and with no sense of control over the situation whatsoever, in his entire adult life, then this was probably it. The rhythmic beeping of the various monitors and equipment gave him only a shady sense that something... at least some one thing out of the whole damned royally messed up equation, was still in a certain period of stability... for now. The usual calm place he managed to normally find within himself, when things went wrong, was now eluding him completely, as he stared down in mute, fear driven distress at Sabrina's almost lifeless form.  
"Bosley...?" A care laden whisper at his side jolted him a little from the ever circling maelstrom of his thoughts.  
Tiffany, her own fearful anxieties and acute distress being held back still only by her utter compassion for her friends plights around her, had watched Bosleys face for the last few minutes. Had watched as Bosleys expressions ghosted between himself and a completely different person she had never even met.  
"Bosley..." She repeated, but kept the volume of her whisper to a minimum. She watched carefully as he sighed, allowed himself to let go of Sabrina's hand, then turned to her, his face ashen. She had never seen him so... so... seemingly out of his depth.  
"Tiff... I ... I had no idea..." Bosleys own whispered words trailed off as he then realised how pathetic and useless those words actually sounded to him.  
"How could you? Bos, this..." she gesticulated with her arms out wide "... this whole case... this whole thing... how could you ever...?!" Tiffany had raised her voice a fraction in response, and immediately realised, as she received a look from the nurse nearby, who was writing notes in Bri's chart. Tiffany knew the nurse was there to keep an eye on the nuisance level, as well as watch over her patient. She nodded her apology back to the nurse then took hold of Bosleys arm and led him out of the all too quiet room. Once away from any patients, Tiffany turned to Bosley and fixed him with such a compassionate gaze that Bosley almost .. almost felt a lump in his throat.  
"Please, Bos, you have to stop feeling like any of this is your fault!" Tiffany tried to reason with him. But Bosley just shook his head.  
"No Tiff..."  
She saw the terrible look of self doubt in his eyes that she knew she had never seen before, and it only served to add fear upon fear upon fear...  
"...Charlie.. He... Never expected this outcome and neither did I...!"  
Bosley could feel the emotion of a long past experience dredging itself up into his already raw throat. Yet as quickly as it emerged, so then as quickly did he force it back down. No. Now was just not the time. John, find control. Find yourself. Get a grip. The internal admonishment seemed to help. He gulped back a feeling. Yet as quickly as it emerged, so then as quickly did he force it back down. No. Now was just not the time. John, find control. Find yourself. Get a grip. The internal admonishment seemed to help. He gulped back a feeling. Looked at Tiffany, her resolve to remain committed to her team wavering only through sheer exhaustion... oh my God... Bosleys heart went out...  
"Tiff!" It was now Bosleys turn to take hold of Tiff and find somewhere for her to sit. Before she literally collapsed on the floor in front of him. Yet even as he gently brought his arm around Tiffany to support her to a chair, he was yet aware of another lap of activity around Sabrina's room. He cast a brief yet intensely worried look over his shoulder just in time to see Kelly with a small child, approach Sabrina's door. Then his full attention was required over Tiff. He sighed inwardly as he steadied Tiff on her chair, reassuring her. He trusted Kelly unquestionably. But really, was it a good time right now for Sabrina? He allowed his small doubt to dissipate as he focussed on helping his ailing angel in front of him.

Kelly held Emily's hand gently, but with a grip she hoped would keep the young kid assured that no-one was going to try and harm her in here. As she entered the room, her small charge glued to her side, her eyes met the nurse stationed at a small desk towards the far corner of the room. The nurse immediately rose from the desk and approached the pair.  
"I'm sorry ma'am, but Miss Duncan has had enough ..." the nurse looked somewhat questioningly down at Emily, who stared wonderingly up at the white clad figure looming over her...  
"... enough disturbance, for the time being."  
Kelly felt suddenly guilty. Damn it! Of course! How stupid of her! She looked over to the bed, and angrily acknowledged the mess of medical machinery that was once again, adorning her friend. Angry at herself. Angry at the whole mess that had brought them here. But as suddenly as the anger had arisen, it was replaced by a flash of stubborness. No! She needed Bri to see... to finally see... her child! Surely... surely Sabrina would be overjoyed? Surely this would ... promote her recovery...? Kelly looked back at the nurse, who had been patiently waiting for a response from the visitor.  
"Please... I - We won't be any trouble..." Kellys' mind was made up. She had Emily here with her now. It was now or never. She was all too aware of the fact that the prison guard had likely had a conversation with the police. She was acutely aware that it was only a matter of time before Social Services showed up, and whisked the poor kid away. Away from her own mother once again. And Kelly was not about to let that happen.  
"I'm sorry..." The nurse sternly interrupted. "But no visitors... family or no family... are allowed at this time..."  
"Kelly...?" Emily suddenly tugged on her nice friends sleeve. Her thoughts and curiosity had wandered to the figure in the bed, because the lady in white had seemed mad at her. She didn't like people mad... or sad. Her mommy sometimes got sad and Emily had always wanted to hide. It made her feel...sad too. Kelly looked down, and so did the nurse. Emily gazed back up to her with huge brown eyes, and a look of such earnest longing, that Kelly's heart almost melted within itself.  
"Oh honey... Emily! I'm so sorry! Here..." Kelly stooped and lifted Emily up, settling her on her hip comfortably. "...it's okay, we're just talking about your mommy, okay?" She looked back at the nurse, whose stern expression suddenly seemed to give way a little.  
The nurse smiled a little, at Emily. Cute kid... poor thing... oh what the heck! She smiled openly.  
"Hi sweetie! You come to see your mommy?" She asked kindly, suddenly remembering her own experiences as a child, visiting sick family.  
Emily nodded solemnly. Where was her mommy anyway? Kelly was gonna take her to see her mommy... She looked over at the bed, and felt scared again. Someone was lying in that bed. And they looked real scary. And that wasn't her mommy! She grabbed a little fistful of Kelly's shirt, and scrunched it up, not wanting to be here any more.  
"Where's mommy?!" Emily whispered up to Kellys' ear, as Kelly felt her shirt being grappled with. Damn it. This wasn't going how she expected it to.  
"Hey, sweetie... " The nurse began to reply. But just as she did so, a small tingle shot up Kelly's spine. She felt they were being watched. She turned her head slowly towards the bed, towards Sabrina.  
The nurses' attention was also diverted towards the bed, and she snapped instantly back to her professionalism.  
"Now I need you both to leave!" She admonished firmly, yet not unkindly, as she hurried to the buzzer at the top of the bed.  
"...No..." A faint croak from the bed. No one heard. Kelly felt Emily tremble, saw Sabrina's eyes desperately trying to focus, yet heard no sound above that of the bleeping instruments. At first.  
Kellys' ongoing refusal to leave was patently annoying the nurse again as she busied over Sabrina, but she didn't care. She stepped back a few paces though, respectfully. Emily turned in her arms and hugged into Kelly, plainly alarmed at the sudden activity. But she wasn't crying thankfully, Kelly noticed. Not yet.  
"Shh Emily, it's alright, you're safe. I got you..." Kelly whispered to Emily, as her eyes found and met Sabrinas. Oh my God! Her mind whirled. She needed to... go to Sabrina... be with her! Yet ... here she had Emily... right with her and.. suddenly she was afraid to...  
"...NO...!" The groan was heard this time, and the nurse immediately pressed the buzzer again, as she tried to calm the patient. But Sabrina tried to shake away the person blocking her view.  
"Kelly...?!" Another faint sound. Too faint. No one heard. She tried again.  
"KELLY...!" Better. Louder. Kelly crossed to the bed without hesitation, to the opposite side, and put an arm across the bed towards the worried nurse. She needed to set Emily down, she didn't have enough arms here. She didn't have enough of anything left, she realised, as she herself began to tremble.  
"Please! Give her a moment?! Please?!" Kelly begged the nurse. She gently lowered Emily to the floor, who really didn't want to be put down, but she dodged quickly behind Kelly as soon as her feet touched the floor. Why won't Kelly get her mommy? She knew Kelly would help her though. She stayed behind her. And held tightly to her legs. She was good at hiding. Her mommy always said that.  
"Sabrina... Oh my God, Sabrina..I.. " Kelly stuttered out, as she still kept one arm over the bed, trying to give her friend a little space. Right now she didn't care if she offended the medical staff at all. She needed to do this. Sabrina needed her. And she needed her daughter, for Gods' sake!  
Then the moment was lost, as a doctor brisked his way into the room, questioning the situation, the nurse, the presence of visitors and everything concerning Sabrina Duncans situation from A right through to Z. Kelly swore inwardly. And felt the fight drain out of her. Too much... she realised. It was all way, way too much. She looked to the doctor, then back to Bri, but Bri's focus had wandered. To the little person behind her legs. Who was now gamely peeping a cautious stare out from behind Kellys' knees. And as Kelly felt hot tears spring to her eyes, felt the clammouring emotions well up through her nerves and threaten her senses once more, she saw Sabrina's lips move. Saw that dreadful scar play its part.  
And she heard the cotton-soft whisper of a name even over the fuss as both doctor and nurse attended to her friend . And even though she saw Sabrina's oh-so-familiar brown eyes spill over with her own desperate tears, then watch her eyelids droop and close over them, Kelly knew she had done the right thing.


End file.
